PAAGLA GHODA - A serious Bengali play by Badal Sircar

ENAD presents Paagla Ghoda (1966), a play by Badal Sircar.  This is a story of four men, assembled for the funeral of a young woman.  Therefore, the entire action takes place in the vicinity of a cremation ground where these four men - a businessman, a post master, a compounder and a teacher have gathered and consequently relived their past relationships that led to bitter consequences. As the body burns, the pallbearers while away the time by drinking and playing cards.  The eerie environs and heavy drinking make the dramatis personae to own up their frustrations, their unrequited passions and their tales of woe.  Each one of the four persons has a different story to narrate, all stories ending in pain and sorrow.  The personification of the dead woman coaxes them to reveal their darkest secrets. She also helps in enacting the role of their respective lady loves during the flash-backs.

The name Paagla Ghoda borrows the metaphor from a traditional bengali rhyme. This popular play has been translated in several languages including English. Please click here for the flyer.

The first show was held in Cupertino, CA on 4th November, 2000.

For an invited show, contact us.

“A Serious Play by Badal Sircar”

The city of Calcutta came under the British influence being the capital of India (till 1911). English drama companies used to visit now and then and influenced regional folk theater known as Jatra(Jaa-traa). Parsi theater which was as imitation of the British theater in curtains, lighting and seating arrangement (proscenium) quickly caught up with Bengali intelligentsia. Plays with mythological, historical and social themes began to make appearance and professonial troupes started traveling the whole state and the nearby regions.

Stage was used to create social and political awareness. Slowly music receded, the emphasis being more on the factual story and happenings (operas were staged) whereas earlier music and dance formed essential part of Indian drama, the new theater had hardly any songs.

Educated groups came on the scene and enacted social dramas and regional versions of Shakespeare, Insen and Brecht. Rabindranath Tagore's plays so far considered unstageable also made appearance.

But the absence of music and dance led to lack of interest of the masses which was soon realized by the troupes. The earliest form of folk theater, Jatra was revived and many modern plays appeared in Jatra form and caught up. Even the third theater of Badal Sircar or taking theater to masses (street plays) has started to include group music profoundly and have come to stay.
- Jyotsna Kamat on Bengali Theater