Monday, July 23, 2012

Rabindranath and Bisarjan

In the last year ( 1922) during the "Barsha Mangal  Utsab" the plan for staging the drama, "Bisarjan", in Calcutta was adopted. Rabinfdranath wrote this to Ranu Adhikari   on 9th Shraban 1329 (1922);
" We are discussing to stage the drama Bisarjan this time."
But during Puja (Saradotsab) they staged "Rinshod" . In the next year there was an announcement by Anada Bazar Patrika on 29th June, " Rabindranath will stage the drama "Bisarjan" to develop fund for Viswabharati and Rabindranath will play the role of "Raghupati". The rehearsal began in Jorasanko. Sita Devi wrote;
" Preparations for staging "Bisarjan" started from this date. One day Pratima Devi    invited me in a tea party which I attend and saw the rehearsal. My two cousins, Hemanta and Asoke also participated in the rehearsla. Hemanta took the role of a villager and Asoke took the role of Chandpal. Rabindranath acted in the role of Raghupati. I saw him in a new type of role which I have never seen. I have seen him  on the stage in different roles several times which does not seem to be acting. It seemed that the character is expressing himself through the mouth of Rabindranath. But the role of Raghupati was something new ."
That was in the rehearsal only. On stage Rabindranath didnot play the role of Raghupati.
Ranu accompanied Rabindranath in the journey to Shillong  during summer vacation.  But she did not return to Banaras after finishing the journey, She stayed in calcutta to take a  role in Bisarjan. Rabindranath selected her in the role of Aparna. .Ranu was not a good actress  Many of her co actors were concern about her acting.
Mira Devi wrote to her son Nitindranath in  England. "We did not go to Bolpur as Bisarjan will be staged in Calcutta. Only the players of Calcutta are acting in the drama. There are none from Bolpur. my father acting in the role of Raghupati , Dada is Govindmanikya, Saumya is Joysingha , Sangha Bauthan is Gunabati and Ranu is Aparna. Tatar our relative is acting of the small boy so nicely. Only the acting of Ranu is not upto the standard otherwise all are acting well. Rabindranath took Ranu with him when he went Santiniketan to maintain her practice in acting. Prasanta Chandra asked Rathindra on 3rd July;
" How the rehearsal is going ? Did Ranu improve ?"
But finally in the stage Rabindranath did not act in the Role of Raghupati, he played the role of Joy Singha. But earlier he always took the role of Raghupati as many times it was staged.
Before staging the drama he edited the book ( vide Ms 134[i] ) in ruled exercise book . On the left mar-zine
he put the addition and alteration and the stage directions. From the first edition the the characters Hasi, tata [Dhruba], and Kedareshwar were again brought back. Another role Vivek, as in Jatra, was added. Inenglish it is called World Mother.
This new character he introduced when he came close to Sahana [Jhunu] Bose. She wrote;
" Rabindranath added ten more songs added a new role for me to sing this song among these songs he wrote three songs earlier;
1. Ogo purabasi,
2. Ami ekla chalechi E bhabe,
3. Thakte ar to parly ne ma  parli kai.
From the old collection he took the songs; - Timira Duara kholo, Ar din phuralo he sangsari, . these two songs  and he construcyed 5 more songs.
1. O amar andhar bhalo,
2. Kon bhiru ke bhay dekhabi,
3. Andhar raate ekla tagal,
4. Amar jabar bela pichu dake,
5. Joy Joy parama niskriti, he name nami.
Sahana wrote that these 5 songs he taught her in the sitting room of the 2nd floor of Maharsi Bhavan.
When Rabindranath came to learn that the song " Din phuralo he sangsari" is known to her, he decidecd to include that. This song she learnt from her maternal aunt  which she collected from a house of a marriage party. This is based on classical tuning. On hearing this song from her maternal aunt Rabindranath instantaneously put words to this tuning. But he thought this song will vanish at the death of sahana's matrnal aunt.