JOIN USBringing Assam's 'Ankiya Nat' to Life
Men and women dressed in traditional costumes of Assam enter the dark stage with torches in hand and dance to the beats of Khol - a percussion instrument like the mridangam.
In the backdrop, one sees face masks called Mukhai suspended from the roof.
Minutes after, an interlocutor or sutradhar dressed in white and red shares with the audience about the happenings in the state of a tyrant. Now transformed into a lavish courtroom with intricate props and the story of the play Sup-Ek-Prahashan literally meaning ‘Everything is a Farce’, unfolded at Sri Ram Centre at the Mahindra Theatre Festival recently.
The rhythmic play performed by around 30 actors, is based on the tyrannical regime of Raja Dharmaswar, and was first staged in 1995. Narrating the pitiable state of the kingdom where people are tormented by hunger while the King entertains himself with wine and women, the plot sees a revolt by the King’s subjects, which ultimately ushers in an era of prosperity, justice and peace.
Based entirely on rhythm with all entries and exits synchronised to perfection, the narrative technique has its roots in Ankiya Nat, the traditional form of drama based on legends and scriptures, conceptualised by the Vaishnav saint, Srimanta Sankar Dev. Says the director of the play Ashim Kumar Sharma: “Ankiya Nat is a 500-year old form of story-telling which we have tried to revive through this production. It was conceptualised to attract the audience at the time and serves the same purpose today.”
When complimented on his excellent portrayal of Raja Dharmaswar, Ashim shares the tragic tale behind him playing this part, “When we started this production in 1995, my friend used to play the Raja but unfortunately he died of cancer and I stopped performing this play. Four years later, National School of Drama (NSD) took the script from me after which I felt the urge to revive it since this is my own creation.”
Every scene in the play is intricately arranged. Within minutes the stage changes from a lavish Courtroom of the king to a forest where the prince goes hunting. The human figures in the backdrop become one with the narration. The scene where a village girl is molested by the Prince, was staged with such precision that it sent chills up the spine. Says Usha Dutta, a spectator, “The experience of the actors spoke for itself as they conveyed less though their dialogues and more through expressions.”
Every character in the play especially the sutradhar, messenger and youth leader, gave life to the story.
As the climax approached, the bull-head on the King’s chair tilts depicting the end of his rule and the audience could not stop applauding for this performance par excellence.