Directed by Anusree Bonnerjee and conceived by Udayan Bhattacharya, the dance drama Premer Jowar is an amalgamation of Shyama, one of Rabindranath Tagore's last dramas, and his poem, Porishodh
Ayan Banerjee, Anusree Bonnerjee and Nilesh Singha
"Our teachers and the students, who are also performers, are a family that honours Tagore's legacy every year. It keeps our Bengali connect alive in this multicultural city, so Shahana is not just a cultural institute," says Anusree Bonnerjee about the NGO founded in 1975, ahead of its latest stage production, Premer Jowar. Directed by Bonnerjee and conceived by Udayan Bhattacharya, the dance drama is an amalgamation of Shyama, one of Rabindranath Tagore's last dramas, and his poem, Porishodh.
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Shahana was started with an aim to revive Tagore's music and culture in Mumbai. The NGO celebrates its foundation anniversary this month.
"Most of our students have never been trained in dance or drama, but it's amazing to see how they have blossomed into such brilliant performers while learning these dance ballads," says Bonnerjee, who plays the female lead. The act is a moving tale of love and forgiveness that follows the story of three characters — Shyama (Bonnerjee), the chief courtesan in Kashi; Bajrasen (Nilesh Singha), a businessman visiting Kashi who Shyama falls in love with; and Uttiyo (Ayan Banerjee), a young man in love with Shyama, who sacrifices his life to save Bajrasen.
Although based on the same story, both Porishod and Shyama are distinct in their form. While Shyama is fluid and straightforward, Porishod raises complex questions. But Premer Jowar blurs these distinctions into one dance drama.
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