Volume-I, Issue-III, March 2025
Volume-I, Issue-III, January, 2025 |
বাংলার গণনাট্য আন্দোলনের প্রেক্ষাপটে
বিজন ভট্টাচার্যের ‘নবান্ন’ নাটক
সুমনা বিশ্বাস, স্বাধীন গবেষক, কলকাতা,
পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 13.01.2025 | Send for Revised: 14.01.2025 | Revised Received: 15.01.2025 | Page No: 576-583 |
Accepted: 24.01.2025 | Published Online: 30.01.2025 | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.1.issue.03W.045 | |||
The People's Theatre Movement in Bengal and Bijon Bhattacharya’s Play
‘Nabanna’
Sumana Biswas, Independent Researcher, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
Bijan Bhattacharya is a towering figure in the history of Bengali drama and literature. His theatrical career began in the 1940s, during a time when a group of anti-fascist writers initiated an independent theatrical movement beyond the confines of commercial theatre. The cultural wing of this movement was the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). One of the most influential and unforgettable milestones in Bengali theatre history is the Gananatya (People’s Theatre) movement, in which Bijan Bhattacharya played a pivotal role. However, this movement did not emerge overnight; it was shaped by the socio-political turmoil of the time. Out of this unstable political context was born the play Nabanna, a groundbreaking work that revolutionized Bengali theatre. While most contemporary plays depicted the lives of kings, queens, and the upper class, or were based on mythology and history, Bhattacharya was one of the first playwrights to authentically portray the struggles of the middle and lower classes. The backdrop of Nabanna includes the upheaval of World War II, the Quit India Movement of 1942, the Bengal famine, and natural disasters. Through this play, Bhattacharya depicted the dire circumstances of farmers who could barely afford food, capturing their suffering under famine, economic depression, oppressive British rule, and the exploitative black-market economy in Aminpur. The play culminates in the people’s eventual protest against these injustices, symbolizing their fight for dignity and survival. As the famine ends, the community unites in celebration of the Nabanna (New Rice Festival), signifying a hopeful resurgence of life. The final moments of the play resonate with the triumphant spirit of resilience, as joy reverberates through the hearts of the people. | ||
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