The 'fearless' Blind Opera

The Blind Opera was founded in 1996 with the principal concern to bring to the forefront the question as to what sort of a heritage we are saving for our future generations.

Ashok Pramanick, one of the founder members of the organization, and a former senior member of the esteemed theatre group Nandikar, came up with the concept of The Blind Opera in 1994. As he remembers, the Blind School of Behala in Kolkata had requested him to do something extraordinary and productive for its blind students during its centenary celebrations in 1994.

The result was that on 9th March 1996, Mr. Pramanick, together with Dr. Prasanta Chatterjee, Debasish Chowdhury, Subhasish Ganguli, and Jayanta Hore, founded The Blind Opera Theatre Company.

Since its inception, the company has staged a number of successful productions, the most memorable being Orchestra (1996), Sankranti (1998), Andhakaarer Roopkatha (1999), Manasa Mangal (2000), Chaityaner Mrityu (2001), Nissanga Vidyasagar (2001), Raja (2002), Aatarbalaar Simantagatha (2004), Thake Sudhu Nachiketa (2004), and of course their most famous production, Tagore’s Raktakarabi.Their play Manasa Mangal earned the Merit of Excellence Award for the year 2000 by the Paschimbanga Natya Academy, Government of West Bengal.

In the past the Blind Opera has also collaborated with Care India for a campaign drama on Health and Nutrition of Child and Mother.

Their latest production, Baanijya Bistaar (Spread of Trade), is written by Indrasish Lahiri and based on a Bengali novel by Shahzad Firdaus.

Staged in Kolkata on the 23rd of December 2007, the play revolves around Sikandar, an ordinary family man who has no specific means of livelihood. He lives with his father, his wife Suraiya, and son Wasif a hand-to-mouth existence.

Their only salvation is a small piece of land that Sikandar owns and which he has unsuccessfully tried to sell to his friend Malay.

One day, while travelling on a local train, Sikandar meets Shylock, who is a trader, manufacturer, merchant and financer, all rolled into one. Shylock has no particular motherland, no particular religion, and no particular language. The whole world is his market.

Shylock proposes to Sikandar to sell his past in exchange for a lot of money. This confuses Sikandar, as he is not sure how a past can be merchandised, but he agrees nevertheless. On selling his past for a huge amount of money, he is able to buy a lot of consumer goods, happiness, comfort, solvency, but is eventually clutched by a world where market is omnipresent and the most omnipotent force of all.

The play got a mixed reaction from the audience. While many appreciated the theme and the courage of the handicapped crew, some felt unsatisfied with the quality of the production and the comfort level of the crew with each other.

It is definitely not an easy task, to get the visually impaired to stage a play. They have to go through numerous rehearsals, adopt techniques of stage management with the help of measured movements, and use their instincts, so that a play can be staged with more excellence.

The director, Mr. Pramanick, says that he believes that these visually impaired people “can genuinely give a trial to their life if there begins a process of self-awareness, reasoning, and imaginative perception of the world around, along with creative participation in an environment of togetherness”.

Despite criticism, challenges and having to brave the tough competition of theatre companies with able-bodied actors, The Blind Opera ventures on with its applaudable mission of restoring confidence in its performers, for whom life had lost all meaning. With The Blind Opera, the blind actors have not only found a new vocation but have also filled up the vacuum that was existing in their life.

Mr. Pramanick feels that the members of the company are now more confident and mobile. They are able to communicate better with the seeing world, can dare to dream to be professional actors and earn a decent livelihood from self-employment.

The Blind Opera has brought a ray of light into the darkened life of many. It is an inspiring institution, and one only hopes that many more courageous people will take further initiatives to give the less privileged a chance to life.

Palash Barman   

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