Theatre review: Taraye Taraye

Duration: 95 minute
Director: Kaushik Sen
Cast: Anjan Dutt, Reshmi Sen, Riddhi Sen
Star: ****
The magic of theatre lies in its live acts. It is that special moment that makes or breaks a play. And if that momentary performance clicks, along with lights, sounds and shadows, a play can create surreal fireworks. This is exactly what the premiere show of Taraye Taraye does. The play is lavish and heart wrenching, and it leaves you with no option but to question your sanity, or the lack of it.Kaushik Sen crafts a dark blue canvas on stage and the actors keep on painting it in different hues. And when the play ends and people are expected to leave the auditorium, Neel Dutt’s live rendition of Don Mclean’s Vincent creates that magic moment that lingers long after you are reassured by your own sanity.
Who is sane, after all? One who meticulously shuts the doors of his mind so that he can abide by society’s normality? Where lies that thin line between imagination and hallucination? Taraye Taraye questions all of it. In his mind, Ritwick (Riddhi Sen) sees himself as Theo, the dear brother of the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. He imagines himself defending Van Gogh’s artwork in the posh Parisian art galleries. He sees Van Gogh fighting with his stability and trying hard to set it free. Ritwick’s wife Sharmila (Surangana Bandyopadhyay) gets scared and takes him to psychiatrist, Rukhsar (Reshmi Sen). And the clash between reality and surrealism begins.
Taraye Taraye is based on Srijato’s novel Tarabhora Akasher Niche. The play, like its mother novel, delves into the depths of Vincent’s mind. And the director brings in Jibananda Das to cast a spell over the audience. With the scattered references of Aatbochor ager ekdin and Bodh, the restlessness of imaginative minds is perfectly showcased. For the ardent lovers of Vincent, he is a religion in himself. His characteristic madness is as revered as his paintings. He cuts off his ear in rage and holds a gun to his belly and pulls the trigger, but he never lies to his canvas. The changing hues of his mind are reflected in his creations. From Irises to Starry Night Over the Rhône and The Potato Eaters — Vincent’s mind speaks through his paintbrushes when the rest of the world shuts its door on him. All Vincent ever wants is to see someone standing in front of that 74 cm x 92 cm frame of The Starry Night and be lost in the deep blue sky. And in the play, Ritwick melts into the blue.
The play showcases the exuberant grief of the painter and Anjan Dutt portrays him with élan. The disappointments and the trauma of the social taboo that the painter faces throughout his life become absolutely real through Anjan’s tremendous act. Performances are definitely the high point of Taraye Taraye. Reshmi Sen makes sure to build the first undisputed magic moment in each and every play she acts in and this one is no exception. On stage, she becomes that psychiatrist who is torn between the dilemma of imagination and hallucination. And then comes the character of Ritwick who forces Rukhsar to believe that life is more real that the reality we dwell in. Riddhi Sen as Ritwick is unputdownable. While the various awards recognise his ability as a film actor, the play showcases every bit of the tremendous stage actor in him. Every moment, he proves that stage is where he grew up.
Taraye Taraye is a heart-wrenching play and Kaushik questions the set rules of sanity. With the melancholy tunes created and used by Neel, the play stays with you long after it gets over. It is definitely a must-watch.