The play being performed at a theatre in Kolkata.
A play written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, highlighting her government’s development initiatives and taking a dig at opposition parties, is now a key part of the Trinamool Congress’s campaign in villages in the run-up to the panchayat polls.
Around a hundred folk theatre and street theatre groups are performing hundreds of shows in rural Bengal at public meetings and street corners. The initiative is being overseen by Bratya Basu, theatre personality and the state IT Minister, according to people involved in the project.
Avi Chakraborty, who directed the play, titled ‘Jayatu’ (victorious), said, “Bratya Basu gave us the script a week ago. We did rehearsals and then a show, which was videographed. Street theatre and folk theatre groups have been chosen (to perform it in different parts of the state). We have sent them the CD, which is a kind of guideline.”
Chakraborty said theatre reaches out to people in a more stirring manner than political speeches. “A live street theatre or a drama on stage is more appealing to the people,” he maintained.
Chakraborty, part of Ashoknagar Nattyamukh, a theatre group, said, “The play is 15 minutes long and is part of campaign for the panchayat polls.”
Basu could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Having eight rural characters, Jayatu’s central theme revolves around development initiatives undertaken by the Banerjee government. It has songs and poems, narrated by the characters, highlighting initiatives such as ‘Kanyashree’ (Bengal government’s programme for girl child), ‘Jubashree’ (programme for youth), ‘Rupashree’ (initiative for marriage of young women).
Among other government initiatives, it also takes up distribution of rice at Rs 2 per kg, free bicycles to schoolchildren, establishment of new colleges and universities in the state.
The play takes a dig at the Opposition, mainly ‘Lal Party” – or the CPI(M) — and calls the BJP (the party is also called ‘Bharat Jalao Party’ and ‘Manush Jalao Party’ in the play) a divisive force.
Sidhartha Kishore Roy Bhandari, head of the theatre group Kisholoy Natya Sanastha, which was roped in to cover West Midnapore district, said, “We have performed at 25 places in three days. We have adopted the tune of Jhumur dance (traditional dance of Purulia) for the main song. We are holding shows at street corners and public meetings where ministers and party leaders address people, and also (organising) independent shows.”
Recalling a show they did in Debra, in Kharagpur subdivision of the district, at 11 pm Tuesday, Bhandari said, “The response from is tremendous.”