Itihaser Kathgoray Production by Theatre 4 You

Chanchal Bhattacharya

Recently, the theatre group Theatre 4 You successfully staged Itihaser Kathgoray, written by Utpal Dutt and directed by the late Sujit Gupta, at Sujata Sadan.

Utpal Dutt considered himself a “propagandist.” His dialogues are razor-sharp, incisive, and unvarnished, inseparably linked to the environment and characterization. He was an ardent believer in dialectical materialism and made no secret of his eagerness to propagate his views through his plays. Born on March 29, 1929, Dutt was honoured twice with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award — first in 1962 as the playwright of Ferari Fauj and again in 1966 as the director of Kallol — though he declined the second award. He passed away on August 19, 1993.

Itihaser Kathgoray (“On Trial Before History”) is based on a true incident. The events take place in 1965, when Pakistani troops and raiders jointly attacked the Indian Army in the Kargil sector of Kashmir. The Indian forces immediately advanced to repel the attack, leading to an intense battle. Indian soldiers, regardless of caste or religion, fought shoulder to shoulder to defend the honour of the motherland.

However, Major Selim Ahmed, a decorated war hero with numerous medals, fell victim to the conspiracy of certain corrupt, masked traitors among government officials and even some senior military officers. His sole “crime” — before 1947, his family lived in Pakistan, and they were Muslims. Using religion as a pretext, they drew him into a deep plot, resulting in his court-martial.

This court-martial and trial form the framework of Utpal Dutt’s ‘In the Dock of History’. Under cross-examination by his defence counsel, Yashpal, the real truth comes to light, and Chairperson Lieutenant General Sahani acquits Major Selim Ahmed as innocent.

With taut teamwork, Theatre 4 You mesmerised the audience. Debashis Sen delivered a striking performance as Defence Counsel Yashpal, leaving a lasting impression on viewers. Sudipta Ghoshal matched him with a commendable portrayal of Kishenlal Adak. Rajib Sen and Aditya Majumdar were convincing as Gurbaux and Selim Ahmed, respectively. Premangshu Dasgupta was well-suited to the role of Lieutenant General Sahani. Others acted competently in line with their characters.

Babul Roy’s lighting successfully created several special moments in the play. Raja Banerjee’s sound design and Ajit Roy’s stage setup were apt.

Utpal Dutt’s ‘Itihaser Kathgoray’ marks a strong and relevant step for the present times by the theatre group Theatre 4 You.