Ram Babu is a poignant drama about grief, guilt, and resistance against an inhumane system. The protagonist, Ram Babu, is an ordinary man consumed by remorse after the deaths of his wife and son. Haunted by memories, he contemplates suicide but finds himself unable to take his own life, continues instead in deep loneliness. His life begins to change when a widow, Madhubala, and her daughter, Mina Kumari—a doctor newly transferred to a major hospital in Kolkata—move into his house. Madhubala’s warmth and belief in the healing power of food and music gradually restore hope in Ram Babu and mend his strained friendship with Shyam. Tragedy strikes again when Mina is reported to have committed suicide at work, but it is later revealed that she was murdered and the institution is covering up the crime. United by grief, Ram Babu, Shyam, and Madhubala rise to seek justice for Mina.

Director:

Manoj Kumar Saha (Abir), born in Kolkata, is an Indian theatre worker, writer, director, and actor. He trained in theatre with Padatik, Kolkata. In 2013–14, he co-founded ‘Nayabad Titas.’ His notable productions include Apankteo, Ram Babu, Black and White Trilogy, Agun Pakhi, Rakkhosh, Raaj Kahini, Agni Jol, and Hul Hul Hul Hamar. He has also adapted classics such as Rakta Karobi by Rabindranath Tagore and Pagla Ghoda by Badal Sarkar. As a scriptwriter, he has researched and written plays on figures like Surja Sen, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. He has written for popular Bengali television serials on Zee Bangla and directed telefilms and short films, including Pesha: Being Eunuch, which received international recognition.

Director’s Note

I believe that Theatre is the mirror of the society.  Whenever society shows it’s brutal, unethical face, as theatre artist I feel urge to show it through my theatre to the audiences and create a artistic witness of time for the future generation. Ram Babu is that kind of play. Based on recent incident of the hospitals of West Bengal, it tells the story of those parents who struggle to obtain justice for their children.

Group:

Nayabad Titas is a socially committed group theatre founded in 2013–14 by a collective of like-minded, theatre-loving individuals inspired by the belief of Ramkrishna Paramhansa that theatre can instruct human beings. Registered under the Paschim Banga Natya Academy and accredited by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Nayabad Titas has been actively engaged in professional theatre for nearly a decade. To date, Nayabad Titas has successfully staged 17 plays and conducted numerous acting workshops, school workshops, seminars, and other cultural activities aligned with its guiding ideals.