Amal Allana’s production of NATI BINODINI is based on the true story of a female born out off wedlock in Calcutta in 1863. The play traces her life from 1863 till 1941. It gives us a glimpse into this woman’s life who went on to become a glorious actress. She was the fifth woman then to enter the theatre, which was dominated by men. The play projects Binodini at two levels simultaneously- of the life she led off stage and on stage.
NATI BINODINI was the opening play at the 11th National Theatre Festival, which is commonly referred to as the Nehru Centre Festival. The festival commenced on 14th July and it boasted a record number of 21 plays in 11 languages. Allana’s production opens to the sound of a conch and the story of an actress unfolds. An old, fragile woman (Salima Raza) who plays Binodini morphs into a young mother, a vibrant girl, an uncouth actress, a girl devoid of grace or dignity.
At a tender age she learns about death and of the shattering pain of loosing some one for ever. Here’s a woman who pursues her life with sheer dedication, an artiste who reaches the peak and who experiences the loneliness and total isolation from the socially prescribed life for woman. The play narrates this sensitive woman’s exploitation and her rise to fame. In short, the production offers a kaleidoscopic view of Binodini’s life.
Although the story of Binodini, as it comes across in the staged adaptation, is not very different from that of other talented women, the technique of staging which has been deployed is imaginative and results in creating a stunning extravaganza. The production to an extent engulfs the simple truth of this woman’s life in an intricate idiom of expression. The stage device of using four to five female actors to represent Binodini at different times, creates a multi layered effect of the events that have transpired in her life. This device also emphasizes her body, mind and the deeper psyche. These five Binodinis-explode on stage with volcanic energy and still retain a flower like fragility.
This multiplicity enhances the pace and arouses visual interest but at the same time deprives the narration of a smooth, uninterrupted flow and drags the story’s progression. The play generates an emotional involvement but slips into repetitive, physical responses by the character. The light design is innovative and the music and sounds speak clearer than even the written dialogues. The lighting, music and the sound design are a sheer delight. Even the set and costume design along with the choreography give the impression of a huge canvas that is magically infused with life.
The team of actors are more or less successful in recreating the life and the times of this great actress. NATI BINODINI is a play within a play. There is the natural theatricality on the one hand and within it there is another dramatic theatricality. The stylistic elements of the play make these two theatricalities palpable. As far as the performance of the actors is concerned, Salima Raza hammed a great deal and that did create a jarring effect. Her trembling voice adversely affected the clarity, her voice projection and even the dignity of Binodini’s character. The other Binodinis were good and brilliant at places. The play has some lasting images and those are the death of Binodini’s brother, her attempt to learn acting, her scenes with Girish Babu- her love- and his final departure from Binodini’s life, her role in the play, ‘Meghnath Badh’ plus the glimpses of the various characters she played on stage. But the scene, which takes the cake is her entry as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
It was exquisitely devised and left a lasting impression. Swaroopa Ghosh, quite evidently the best of all the Binodinis played the scene, which instantly elevated the production. NATI BINODINI is based on the actresse’s autobiography. While the play is in Hindustani, it depended on the English translation of the autobiography by Rimli Bhattacharya. Amal Allana dramatized and directed it. Is this just a coincidence? Who says this is a man’s world?
*The writer is a senior theatre and television person who has trained under Ebrahim Alkazi at the National School of Drama (NSD). She has written for publications such as ‘The Asian Age’ and is a regular contributor to the Prithvi Theatre Newsletter (PT Notes). She also offers theatre training to students at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is an important critical voice for the Gujarati Theatre.
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