Money, Money, Money – Without it everything is meaningless

Chanchal Bhattacharya

On May 15, Harinavi Banganatya Samaj successfully staged the play Kenar Pala (The Act of Buying), written by Indrashis Lahiri and directed by Chandan Mitra at Madhusudan Mancha.

Established in 1862, Harinavi Banganatya Samaj was founded by the first original playwright of Bengal, Pandit Ramnarayan Tarkaratna (26.12.1822 – 19.01.1886). Ramnarayan was the first to formally script plays and earned the title “Natuke Ramnarayan” (Dramatist Ramnarayan). His works like Kulin Kulasarbaswa (1854), Ratnavali (1858), and Abhigyan Shakuntalam were staged on private platforms by affluent patrons in 19th-century Calcutta. The prestigious Pathuriaghata Theatre honoured him multiple times for his contributions to drama.

When poverty-stricken lives are tempted by greed and desire, the simple worldview of the common man begins to erode. The dazzling world of buying and selling slowly pulls him away from his loved ones. To them, he becomes a distant, unfamiliar figure, devoid of values. One by one, they disappear from his life. When he finally regains his senses, he finds himself a bankrupt man wrapped in wealth—having forever lost those priceless relationships that money can never buy.

This is the central theme of Kenar Pala. Under Chandan Mitra’s tight direction and a powerful ensemble performance, the artists of Harinavi Banganatya Samaj delivered their third staging of this play with remarkable success. Among the audience were eminent theatre personalities such as Bibhash Chakraborty and Pradip Sengupta, the guiding force behind Ashani Nattyam.

Chandan Mitra delivered a stellar performance as the character Sikandar, while Uttam Chatterjee matched him step for step as Shylock. Other cast members who portrayed their roles with precision include Arijit Sarkar, Ayantika Ghosh, Samar Banerjee, Tritripti Shil, Malay Mukherjee, Nibedita Bose, Pintu Debnath, Subhankar Bhattacharya, Basudev Adhikari, Jibankrishna Shil, Sushanta Mondal, Ruby Sarkar, Sudipta Dutta, Dipshikha Chakraborty Acharya, Puja Palit and the villagers.

Lighting was aptly handled by Bablu Roy. Chandan Mitra was also in charge of stage design. The soundscape and set decoration were managed by Robin Das and Har Mondal, respectively.

Late Indrashis Lahiri, the playwright known for works like Basabhumi, Ichhe Gaari, and Drishtikonya, left us too soon. His play Kenar Pala, in the hands of director Chandan Mitra and a talented cast, stands as a proud and enviable production by Harinavi Banganatya Samaj.