Suman adapts Nabarun's novel for the stage

Adapts novel Khelna Nagar for the stage in Hindi; play to be performed by NSD repertory
Nabarun Bhattacharya is no more, but theatreperson Suman Mukhopadhyay is ready to extend his association with the Leftist author. After adapting Nabarun’s Herbert and Kangal Malsat on film and wowing audiences, Suman is working on a stage version of the author’s novel Khelna Nagar.
The play will be staged by the repertory company of the National School of Drama and Suman is leaving for New Delhi at the end of November to do the rehearsals.The play will be staged in mid-January, 2015. “The NSD repertory company invited me to direct a play for them. While I had prepared a dramatic adaptation in Bengali, the Hindi translation has been done by Usha Ganguly,” he told us.
Suman says that he had originally wanted to stage the play at the Nandikar festival but that would have meant starting rehearsals back in September, which proved to be impossible with his busy schedule. So do we get to see the production in Kolkata at all? “I sure hope so. Since the production is being handled by a repertory, they will be travelling to different cities and I’m sure Kolkata would be one of them,” says the director.
Since the play is in Hindi, will language be a barrier for Suman? “Not at all! I’ve done Tarkash for national television with Naseeruddin Shah in the ’90s, apart from other Hindi serials,” he stresses.
But Suman is perturbed that over a year after it was completed, it is still not clear when his Sesher Kobita will finally hit the screens. It has already been doing the rounds of festivals. “The film is stuck in the red tape between NFDC and the ministry of culture. This is typical of our system. But I’m hoping the matter will be sorted out soon,” he says.