Dhubri: A street play titled ‘Durga Ahil Nepali Khutit’ (Durga Arrives in Nepali Khuti), staged by Krishtir Baat ahead of Durga Puja, drew an emotional response from audiences at three locations in Dhubri.Written and directed by playwright Sanjib Kundu, the play was performed by members of the Durga Elo group. It highlighted the devastating impact of this year’s floods on Nepali Khuti village in Sivasagar district and portrayed the loss of homes, livelihoods and lives. The play also paid tribute to flood victims across Assam, other parts of India and neighbouring Nepal.The play was staged near Bishnu Cinema Hall, at Panchmore and at Paulpara Vivekananda Club. Several spectators were moved to tears during the performances.Young performer Debadrita Roy Joni earned special appreciation for her poignant performance. Veteran actor Jay Prakash Majumdar, who has completed 50 years in the profession, impressed audiences as the elderly ‘Gaon-Burha’ and uncle. Ishan Pal, Mehezabeen Arbani and Urvashi Choudhury, who portrayed Bishal, the grandmother and Durga respectively, also won praise.Veteran artists Bimal Roy, Anup Das and Deepak Roy, popularly known as Babai, delivered notable performances. Musical accompaniment by Tarun Kar enhanced the production, which was introduced by theatre director Bipul Sarkar.Talking to TOI, playwright and director Sanjib Kundu said, “Through this street play, we wanted to bring the suffering of flood-affected people before society and pay tribute to those who lost their lives, homes and livelihoods.”“The floods in Nepali Khuti, other parts of Assam and India, as well as the devastating flash floods in Nepal, have left countless families in grief. We wanted their pain to reach people’s hearts and remind everyone of our shared responsibility towards those affected by such tragedies,” he said.Kundu said the overwhelming response from spectators and theatre lovers was a significant achievement for the production.
