Play on impact of industry on villagers

BHUBANESWAR: Natya Chetana, a theatre group, presented its production ‘Dhuan’ at 10 different places in West Bengal. The play is based on case studies collected in 2005 near Koraput on the possibility of poverty eradication through industrialization.
The play was made in the style of intimate theatre and the body used as the main instrument. It is inspired by folk, traditional music and dance movements collected from the field.The play is written and directed by founder of Natya Chetana, Subodh Patnaik.
“Dhuan highlights the process of economic development through industry and the poor becoming victims of the process and displacement. The play debates industrialization and how it affects the life of forest dwellers,” Patnaik said.
The team of 25 artists comprises of youth from mainly tribal and rural areas.
“Though we have presented this play several times before, but this time we used a bamboo structure as the stage design to share the innovative compositions that have been used in plays taken to villages on bicycle expeditions by Natya Chetana,” said Patnaik.
“The audiences could not stop themselves from clapping at the points where the body is used as the main instrument. This was very encouraging for us,” he added.
The play was performed at various theatre festivals in West Bengal including Nandikar National Theatre Festival in Kolkata, Ritwik International Theatre Festival (Desh Bidesher Natya Mela) in Berhampore, National Theatre Festival of Natyam Balaka in Raghunathganj, National Theatre Festival in Ramrajtala, Howrah, ADIBIMB National Adivasi Festival of Tribal Music, Dance and Theatre in Dwaranda, near Shantiniketan and so on.