ঘুরঘুট্টি আঁধার ফুঁড়ে হামাগুড়ি দিয়ে বেরিয়ে আসা বিরল বুড়ো : বাঞ্ছারামের ‘সাজানো বাগান’/ The Rare Old Man Crawling Out of Darkness : Bancharam’s ‘Sajano Bagan’

Abstract

The celebrated playwright Manoj Mitra’s remarkable creation ‘Sajano Bagan’ is a play that presents a harsh social reality wrapped in the layers of humour and comic flavour. First staged on 7 November 1977, under the production of Sundaram, the play bore the strong imprint of Manoj Mitra himself—he was present throughout its creative space as the playwright, the director, and even as the actor portraying the character of Bancharam. The performance generated waves of applause among the audience. Later, in 1980, Tapan Sinha adapted ‘Sajano Bagan’ into a film, changing the title to ‘Bancharamer Bagan’. In the film as well, Manoj Mitra performed the title role. Theatre and cinema, however, are two distinct mediums, and their impact on audiences differs in significant ways. This paper examines how ‘Sajano Bagan’ transformed into ‘Bancharamer Bagan’, analysing the deviations, limitations, and distinctive features that emerged in the process of this transformation.