Nati Binodini
Posted on November 21st, 2008 by Avinashi
I think; people who adore theatre might have hardly missed this ride, for there was an overwhelming flush of audience in the Nachghar last Wednesday. It was a remarkably portrayed play that took the spectators along its heightening, widening and deepening emotional flux.
The story is an autobiography of a low-birth concubine, Binodini, who develops affection for theatre so much so that she dedicates herself to the theatre abandoning the colorful and affluent life of a Kept. She truly respects that divine world of theatre where women like her are enlightened by the deep knowledge of world’s best plays; the philosophy, the truth, the sense of humanity and divinity underlying in the masterpieces of Shakespeare and Milton. Theatre tends to anchor them out of the deep crevasse of flesh-market. But things do not go as expected; Binodini again has to sell her flesh for the price of the theatre building. “If the sale of my flesh, once and for all, can put this flesh-market to an end forever, then it’s worth it”, she thinks, and submits herself to the malice. However, to her chagrin, the history rejects the enormity of this sacrifice. Even her master urges her to distort the reality and present only the rosiness of her theater-life in that autobiography, Amar Katha.
The main plot is simple. It drags throughout. The main tension is simple. It hooks. Opulent costumes. It evokes the memories of those good-old-Indian days. Enchanting music; hypnotizing, tear-triggering. Excellent scripting, that reminds Tagore’s elaborative, metaphoristic style. Acting that squeezes heart, that sneaks deep into the mind and encompasses all the senses. The brilliant acting was the heart of the play, those uncanny portrayals of the layers of the womanhood and the sufferings. Unfailing lighting, choreography, direction, casting and all.
Written, directed, acted and crew-majored by women, it mainly permeates some kind of feministic aura. To build the world as it is today, women had had to sacrifice a lot, be it the Goddesses, or the mothers or the prostitutes of every time and everyplace; the play propels to think. Somewhere it reminds of “Vagina Monologues’”, the rebel against the battering and shattering of womanhood. Hats off to Amar Allana, the directress.
The legendry artist Kiran Manandhar Painted an abstract art after seeing the play. And I, too, penned abstract lines after seeing that. Let’s read:
Watch out for the wind
That’ll disentangle the thousand-pollens
Or, you’ll be crimson and done for
November 24th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Wow, very artistic and analytic presentation from the show! Good to read!
But I also sensed the influence of feministic aura in your own analysis.
‘To build the world as it is today, women had had to sacrifice a lot, be it the Goddesses, or the mothers or the prostitutes of every time and everyplace.’
I would like to comment on the word “sacrifice”. Isn’t that a natural attitude and behaviour of women? I would say no one intentionally built the world, neither men nor women. It’s an evolutionary development. By nature women are sensitive, soft, ability to give birth, and so on.. . You can add many behavioural and biological abilities. Similarly men have their own attitudes and behaviours… But this is all because of their intact nature of what they are. The present existence of world is the consequence of the intimate cooperation between men and women. It’s not designed or modelled either by men or women until now. During the evolution there might be more sufferings and sacrifice on the side of women and hardship, ego on the men side. But this is because of natural abilities, behaviour, attitudes, of what they are. John Gray (1992) writes men are from Mars women are from Venus. Womanhood is just a propaganda raised by few men and women. Indeed, it is very tough to stand at the neutral point from gender identity and imagine about the opposite gender. But I am sure you will see a bit different scenario.
Very creative, Sensitive(feminist?) poem, my compliments!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Arjunji, I agree with you, almost to the T.Of course it was a kind of lopsided conclusion that women of every place and everytime had had to sacrifice alot to build this world. Of course Men had had not less to suffer and sacrifice.I truly believe that “sacrifice” is intutive in women, and they are happy to sacrifice..कसैको लागी दुख या त्याग गर्न पाईएन भने आईमाई हुनुको मजै आउँदैन जस्तो लाग्छ मलाई त। सायद यो जिन मै थियो कि । Coincidently , I am just reading that book”Men are from Mars and women are from Venus”.भर्खर चौंतिस पेज सम्म पुगें । and I have been enjoying throughout,its very insightful indeed..yo book padhisakepachhi ta Boyfriend,Brother and Boss कोही सँग पनि झगडा पर्दैन होला जस्तो लाग्छ । I do really reespect that different and distinct attributes of good Martians and sweet Venusians. तर मैले यो सब भनेर मैले आफैंले लेखेको कुरालाई आफैं नेगेट या ईनभ्यालिडेट गर्न खोजेको हैन । किनभने यो कुरा अति जटिल र गहिरो छ । मत्लब म आफु त sacrifice ya women ko submissive attitude ma used to chhu…but when I look around..women suffering, its just cant be tolerated you know..I mean..Okey,good,..you feel good at abandoning your ego ..but..it does not feel good when you see ur mothers, sisters, freinds , and Nati Binodini having to sacrifice their life/identity/dreams/ just for the hake of some Male-ego…May be I sound contradicting..I dunno..may be I am confused..I m still wondering and pondering on how the world works..how these two species from different planet can actually balance…बल्ल अलि अलि बुझ्दैछु सिक्दैछु पढ्दैछु । कुनै दिन आफ्नो थेअरी राम्ररी राख्न सक्ने भएँ भने अवश्य पनि तपाईंलाई सुनाउँला। अनि बाई द वे, I dunno much about feminism..I know more about Humanism..kunai din Feminism bujhe bhanepani bhanula…
Thanks for commenting and triggering some more thoughts from my side.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
It is natural you are sensitive to feel the sufferings of women around you. But the reason behind is not just the intact characteristics of women or men but the culture that develops from within and around. I think the solutions are also simple… awareness, knowledge, wisdom forging the better culture.
It’s exciting to interact with your expressions and thoughts. No one is perfect in this world. Except Superman and Spiderman (again man, could be bcoz of ego)!. There is always something to learn before us with each other’s knowledge and experiences by sharing and interacting. I am proud to say, I learn something from your creative expressions. Now the time ahead of us is not just to learn but to ‘learn, unlearn and relearn’ (Alvin Toffler). Well, Avinashi ji my wishes for the time ahead. Hope to read you as usual.
November 26th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Gratitude…again..Arjunji