শতবর্ষের আলোয় কালজয়ী ‘রক্তকরবী’ নাট্য : বহুরূপীর মঞ্চায়নে এক অনবদ্য শিল্পকৃতি/ Shatobarsher aloy kaaljoyi ‘Raktakarabi’ natyo: Bahurupee manchayane ek anabadya shilpakriti

Abstract

Rabindranath reflected the aesthetic expression of the inner experiences he had gradually gathered regarding the world and life within his literature. He holds a distinguished place among the world’s greatest symbolist playwrights. Rabindranath Tagore’s play ‘Raktakarabi’ (Red Oleanders) was first staged at the E.B. Railway Mansion Institute in Sealdah on May 10, 1954. ‘Raktakarabi’ marked the eleventh theatrical production by the group ‘Bohurupee’, following the staging of ten plays-both large and small-in the six years since its inception. The organization deserves the highest praise for this unique production. He wrote ‘Raktakarabi’ after traveling to Japan, America, and Europe following the First World War. He had witnessed-through the conduct of the British in his own country-how people in a capitalist state sacrifice their humane qualities and engage in shameless competition to plunder one another. The King in ‘Raktakarabi’ represents a ruler distorted by the capitalist social order; yet, he possesses an intimate, inner self as well. This aspect reveals the transformation of the human soul into a beast. The King mistakenly took a mere fragment of humanity for the whole, and the consequence of this error was the destruction of his own soul; thus, amidst beauty, he yearns for the death of his own bestial nature. The King is not merely a man; he embodies the inhuman force created by the convergence of bureaucratic rule and industrialist exploitation. Yet, ultimately, this impersonal inhumanity itself turns human and rises against its own nature. By killing Ranjan, the King loses his own power but acquires Ranjan’s vital life force. Nandini is a woman of the modern age as well as the embodiment of the eternal feminine; while a living human being, she also symbolizes the eternal suffering of humanity. She appears as the one who brings the mantra of liberation to those distorted souls. The character of Bishu embodies a specific philosophical truth envisioned by Tagore, while simultaneously being deeply intertwined with the play’s narrative and events. He possesses the unique gift of articulating the anguish of a suppressed heart through the medium of song. Like Ranjan, Bishu is a formidable warrior in the struggle against the realm of machines. The Professor represents the materialist learning and scientific intellect that form the bedrock of capitalist civilization. The character of the Sardar in ‘Raktakarabi’ presents a dual nature. Externally, he symbolizes the administrative machinery of the capitalist state. He is ruthlessly committed to maintaining this system of exploitation and control, employing any tactic necessary-whether conciliation, bribery, sowing discord, or coercion. Indeed, while everyone else in Yakshapuri undergoes a transformation under Nandini’s influence, the Sardar remains unchanged; ultimately, both the King and the workers—inspired by Nandini-revolt against him. The Gosai serves as a tool for upholding the vested interests of the capitalist and imperialist order; his role is to legitimize unrighteousness as righteousness by cloaking it in scriptural rhetoric. Fagulal is a key leader of the workers’ uprising; by the play’s conclusion, he too has heroically spearheaded the rebellion-a transformation brought about by Nandini’s influence. ‘Raktakarabi’ is essentially a chronicle of the conflict between a civilization rooted in productive labor and one driven by the lust for possession. Social transformation is an eternal truth, and the play manifests this timeless reality through various symbolic forms. Nandini symbolizes the playful spirit of life, while Ranjan represents youth-a youth whose destruction has cursed the King’s existence. Shambhu Mitra demonstrates his courage by attempting to liberate these characters from the heavy burden of allegory while still preserving their symbolic essence; he stands as one of the greatest actors of the modern era. No contemporary actor can compare with him in terms of regal elegance of delivery, clarity of enunciation, refined gravity of voice, and an irresistible magnetism. The issues addressed in this play are not confined to any specific country; they are universal concerns. The production of ‘Raktakarabi’ by Bohurupee stands as a milestone in the world of Bengali theatre.