Jagarani Theatre revived ‘Rajar Chithi’ at Shilpakala
After a gap of more than a year and a half, Jagarani Theatre brought back its acclaimed production “Rajar Chithi” to the stage, with two shows held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka.
The play was staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall at 5:15pm and 7:30pm on Saturday (April 4).
Based on a historical anecdote, the play drew from a letter written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1939 in response to a young man named Haridas Basak from Shahzadpur. Inspired by both that exchange and Tagore’s literary world, the story imagined how the young man’s life gradually transformed under the influence of the poet’s ideas.
Written by Mahfuza Hilali and directed by Debashish Ghosh, “Rajar Chithi” marked the 15th production of Jagarani Theatre.
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The narrative followed Haridas, a young man who wrote to Tagore—an act initially met with ridicule from family and friends. When a reply finally arrived, the tone shifted. Haridas earned respect and began to immerse himself in literature and cultural pursuits.
As the story moved through time, the upheavals of 1947 and later the Bangladesh Liberation War reshaped his world. While many around him migrated, Haridas refused to abandon the address to which Tagore once wrote.
During the violence of 1971, his home was destroyed, yet his grief centred not on the loss of property or kin, but on the disappearance of that letter—a symbol of meaning and identity.
The production featured performances by Smaran Saha, Aniket Pal, Shahana Jahan Siddika, Shahnaz Sharmin Khan Shimu, and Juliet Supriya, among others.
Choreography was by Aniket Pal Babu, with music by Ramiz Raju. Lighting design was handled by Thandu Raihan, and costumes were designed by Enam Tara Saki.
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