A heart-wrenching tale of love that transcends time, Sojan Badiar Ghat by Jasim Uddin is a timeless classic. Set in the village of Shimultali (located in Bangladesh), the description gives us visual imagery of the untapped beauty of rural Bengal. This literary piece portrays how communal divide caused by upper class influential people creates chaos among fellow farmers. The elite class use religion for their own benefit consequently creating hate, destroying love and life of others. Sojan and Duli are childhood lovers who are united. Due to the communal riot, the once united Hindus and Muslims forced them to separate from each other. Fate plays a cruel hand and they meet again, only to be united through death. Sojan and Duli’s love story remain synonymous with yearning, pain and suffering and strike a chord in the heart of the people of Bengal.
Director :
Goutam Halder is an acclaimed theatre director and actor with a distinguished career spanning 39 years in Indian and international theatre. Renowned for his powerful performances and innovative direction, his notable productions include Sojan Badiar Ghat, Mitali, Maramiya Mon, Mrichchhakatika, Sakharam, Mephisto, Caligula by Albert Camus, Biswarjan, and the celebrated Meghnad Badh Kabya. His artistic excellence has earned him prestigious honors such as the Girish Ghosh Award (2022) from the Government of West Bengal, the State Award for Best Production for Meghnad Badh Kabya and Best Director for Chile Kothar Sepai, as well as the Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Kiran Award (2001) from the Government of Maharashtra. Halder has represented Indian theatre globally, performing and directing in major cities across the USA and Canada, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Ottawa, and at prominent venues in London, Edinburgh, Germany, and Sweden. He has participated in international theatre festivals such as the Swedish International Theatre Festival and Theatre Biennale at Orebro. In addition to performances, he has delivered lecture-demonstrations at institutions like Georgia University (USA), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (UK), and the International Dance and Theatre Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Director’s Note
Sojan Badiyar Ghat is an exceptional poetic work by the famous poet Jasimuddin that explores the deep harmony between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The play is based on the story of a teenage romance between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. Their attempt to marry each other sparks a devastating communal riot and tragically, this love story ends in death.
In directing this play, I focused on uniting each and every performer and make them work together alongwith live musicians to achieve the highest level of ensemble acting. We have woven in indigenous and folk music alongside traditional Bengali art forms, such as the energetic stick-fighting called Lathikhela. We aimed for every character to feel completely alive, rising directly from the soil of rural Bengal, just as Jasimuddin originally pictured them. Our biggest challenge was transforming these poetic figures into real, breathing people on stage. We sincerely hope you connect with and enjoy this play.
Group :
Naye Natua, a troupe of Kolkata produces theatre ranging from fairy tales to modern immortal fictions of Bengal and India. The troupe has been wholeheartedly praised by connoisseurs in India and abroad. The troupe is laden with talented actors, dancers and musicians.