44th staging of ‘Trial of Suryasen’ at Shilpakala on Friday

Dhaka Padatik is one of the leading theatre groups in Dhaka. The group’s 38th production is ‘Trial of Suryasen’. The 44th staging of the play will be held at the Experimental Theatre Group of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Friday (July 17) at 7 pm.

Dhaka Padatik brings the play to the stage based on the farcical trial and murder of Masterda Suryasen, a brave soldier of the anti-British movement. The play was written and directed by Ekushey Padak-winning playwright Masum Aziz. After his death, the country’s renowned actor and director Nader Chowdhury is taking on the responsibility of directing the play again.

He has added new dimensions to the decorations and stage design in some parts of the play as needed. The play has received a huge response among theatre lovers. Due to its historical context, strong dialogues and construction style, it is currently one of the most talked-about productions in the theatre industry. In the meantime, two international exhibitions of the play were held in Delhi, India. There, it received wide appreciation from the audience and theater critics.

Highlighting the experience of re-directing, Nader Chowdhury said, Trial of Surya Sen is an important play based on the history of the anti-British movement. It was written and directed by Ekushey Padak recipient Masum Aziz Bhai. After his death, I embellished some parts as needed and re-directed it. I am playing the role of Masterda Surya Sen in the play. This historical play should definitely be watched by the current generation.

The notable characters of the play, which consists of about 40 characters, are Surya Sen, Kalpana Dutta, Tarakeswar Dastidar, Pritilata Waddedar, Ambika Chakraborty, Nirmal Sen, British lawyer, Netra Sen and Bengali lawyer. Playing various roles are Nader Chowdhury, Mahbuba Haque Kumkum, Manjurul Islam Nantu, Sabiha Zaman, Hasnahena Shilpi, Mamun Ur Rashid, Shyamal Hasan, Rabiul Milton, Akhter Hossain, Tarek Ali Milon, Atiqur Rahman, Al Amin Swapan, Sumon Ghosh, Farzana Nipa, Arif, Maqsud, Zahid and others.

Zakaria Kiran is in charge of the lighting design of the play, Abul Bashar Sohel is in charge of the music direction and Shyamal Hasan is in charge of the stage management. It is worth mentioning that the inaugural exhibition of the play 'Trial of Suryasen' was held on January 18, 2018. After that, through several successful stagings in the country and abroad, the play has gained special acceptance among the audience as one of the most discussed additions to history-based drama productions.