Cultural Correspondent
Theatre troupe Prangonemor staged its play Hasonjaner Raja on Friday at National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The play, written by Shakoor Majid and directed by Ananta Hira, brings to light the eventful life of the mystic bard through a fictitious meeting between a group of youths and Hason Raja.
Hasonjaner Raja begins with a group of tourists, comprising young boys and girls, visiting a haor at a full moon night in rainy season.
The boatman, who is a devotee of Hason Raja, informs the group that Hason Raja often visits the haor at full moon night.
Much to the group’s surprise, a meeting happens between Hason Raja and the group and the play moves forward.
Through conversations between Hason Raja and the youths the play reveals how Hason Raja, a landlord of a region in the eastern part of the country, became a mystic bard abandoning a life of luxury.
Through narrations and songs, the play portrayed Hason Raja’s days as a zamindar when he was addicted to wealth and women and how he later came to realise the meaninglessness of worldly desires and possessions after the death of his mother.
Hason Raja’s songs like Nesha lagilore, Hason Raja koy, Sundori radhego, Sona bondhu amare, Matir pinjirar majhe, Loke bole bolerey and few others were presented as Hason Raja narrated the story of his life.
Prangonemor artiste Ramiz Razu enacted the role of Hason Raja very impressively to the delight of the audience, while the tourists’ callous conversations with Hason and singing songs in the western rap way with Hason’s traditional songs drew mixed response from the audience.
