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Giant of Bengali theatre remembered

64th birth anniversary of Natyacharya Selim Al Deen

Saurav Dey
Theatre troupe Swapnodol arranged a two-day programme on August 17-18 to celebrate the 64th birth anniversary of Natyacharya Selim Al Deen, one of the pioneers of Bengali theatre in the post-Rabindranath era. On the occasion, the troupe spruced up Shilpakala Academy premises and chalked out programmes to mark the birthday of the theatre
guru on August 18.
The programme kicked off with a music-choreography presentation, followed by a discussion on the life, works and philosophy of Selim Al Deen at the Studio Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy on Saturday evening. Eminent theatre personality, Nasiruddin Yousuff inaugurated the programme, while theatre personality SM Mohsin and Selim Al Deen's wife Begumjadi Meherunnesa were also presentas guests among others at the programme.
Later in the evening, Swapnodal staged "Festoon-e Lekha Smriti"— a play adapted from Selim Al Deen's chronicle of the Liberation War. "Festoon-e Lekha Smriti" was published in a national newspaper in 1993; in this write-up, Selim Al Deen reminisced on the Liberation War. Selim Al Deen himself was the central character in
Swapnodal's adaptation.
Swapnodal's lyrical presentation gave the audience a glimpse of the war-torn countryside and an account of Selim Al Deen's experience during the Liberation War. Zaharabi Ripon adapted the play, while Rownok Laboni and Samad Bhuiyan directed it.
On the second day of the programme, the troupe paid tribute to the departed theatre guru by placing wreaths at his grave on JahangirnagarUniversity campus. Later, a seminar, titled "Natyachraya Selim Al Deen: In the Eyes of Young Playwrights" took place at the Seminar Room of the National Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy. In the evening, Selim Al Deen's play "Horgoj" wrapped up the two-day programme.
Dhaka Theatre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Selim Al Deen Foundation held a number of programmes to recall Natyacharya. Selim Al Deen' masterpiece "Chaka” was also staged. Directed by Sudip Chakrobarty, Theatre Department of Dhaka University produced the play.
On August 18, 1949 the playwright and theatre artiste was born in a Sonagazi uapzila under Feni district and on January 14, 2008 he breathed his last due to a cardiac failure. Natyacharya Selim Al Deen was the founder chairperson of the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Bangla theatre; he is one of those playwrights without whom theatre scene in Bangladesh would not have taken its present shape. He was one of the founding members of Dhaka Theatre, a leading theatre troupe of the country. In his illustrious career, he has produced some of the masterpieces of Bangla theatre, and with his multi-dimensional research works he has taken theatre to a higher level.