Bratya's play to lift stage-adaptation cloud?

Kolkata: On January 2, the first show of Bratya Basu's 'Meghe Dhaka Tara', which has been adapted from the cult Ritwik Ghatak film, will hit the stage, reviving a trend that had once given Bengal some of its most popular plays. Films like 'Ogo Bodhu Sundori' (source for the play 'Sundori Lo Sundori'), 'Sarey Chuattor', 'Golpo Holeo Sotti' and even 'Uttor Falguni' (source for the play 'Pannabai') all formed the basis for several popular plays.
However, once professional theatre and mainstream cinema saw a decline in Bengal, it resulted in a vacuum in the stage adaptation space. Sporadic attempts were made in between, but they were largely restricted to the films of the '60s.
Incidentally, two of Mahesh Bhatt's films - 'Arth' and 'Daddy' - have been adapted into the play format. But Basu isn't keen on adapting any contemporary film. "In 2005, I had adapted my own film - 'Teesta' - for my play titled 'Mukhomukhi Bosibar'.
Last year, Kalakranti group had adapted the 1953 Uttam-Suchitra comedy into a play. Directed by Animesh Kanti Ghoshal, the screenplay was adapted by Ratna Ghoshal. Those who watched the adaptation said it was attempted more as a tribute to author Bijan Bhattacharya who had penned the original story. Way before that the Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen-starrer 'Ekti Raat' became a hugely successful plat when Anup Kumar adapted it on stage as 'Aghatan'.
Comparison with the stars' performances in cult films is the biggest challenge for stage adaptations. For literary adaptations, the play is judged only on the basis of textual references. But for plays adapted from films, it is a different matter. Paltry budget comes in the way of matching the production quality of films.
Basu, for instance, has shot some scenes from the play and is using the audio-visual element in the backdrop of the play. Yet challenges remain since there will be comparisons with Supriya Devi and Anil Chatterjee in the Ghatak original.
Basu's next adaptation will be Tapan Sinha's 'Golpo Holeo Sotti'. Incidentally, Santoshpur Aarshi group has already done a stage adaptation of this 1966 film. "This was the first production of our group. We wanted a play that the audience could relate to and this film's subject seemed apt for that. Actor Subrata Burman has also been appreciated for his performance in the character that was played by Robi Ghosh. However, we sought permission from Sinha's son Anindya before staging it," said director Suman Adhikary. Since May, Adhikary has done four shows. Their next show is on January 12. Adhikary isn't keen on adapting any contemporary film since he doesn't wish to be typecast as a director of adapted plays. But producers are open to the idea.
Actor-director Kaushik Sen had adapted 'Thana Theke Aschi' in 2013. The same title had earlier been used in two films, one directed by Hiren Nag in 1965 and the other by Saran Dutta in 2010. The original source of all these was J B Priestley's play 'The Inspector Calls'.
"But my play was adapted from Ajit Gangopadhyay's adaptation of Priestley's work," Sen clarified.
Some believe Kolkata's group theatre veterans will avoid cinema adaptations since most contemporary films haven't reached the cult status that merits such attempts. According to Sen, "Professional theatre did this. Prominent among these was a stage adaptation of 'Manmoyee Girls School'. Group theatre had a different orientation. They were Left-leaning and keen on experimentation and concerned more with world theatre adaptations. Today, there are so many texts still available. The group theatre sector will prefer relooking at them."
But if he had to adapt, he would opt for Srijit Mukherji's 'Rajkahini' or Churni Ganguly's 'Nirbasito'. "These films, and not something like the successful 'Belaseshe', might inspire me to do a play," Sen said.