Bhabna, one of the most promising dance companies of Bangladesh, premiered their latest production "Shakuntala", directed by renowned Manipuri dancer Samina Husain Prema, on Friday at the National Auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, in front of a jam-packed full house. The show commenced with a few words of appreciation from Cultural Affairs minister, Asaduzzaman Noor and renowned cultural personality Kamal Lohani, followed by a rather enthralling start to the production.

The story, which was based on great poet Kalidasa's 5th-century literary masterpiece "Abhigyan Shakuntalam", was depicted through a careful combination of Kazi Nazrul Islam's songs which played precisely into the narrative. The choreography, although primarily influenced by Manipuri, also incorporated other Indian classical as well as folk dance forms. Prema attributed all credits for the Manipuri segments of the production to her guru, Smt. Kalavati Devi, a legendary name in Manipuri dance.

The dancers did a phenomenal job weaving the intricate movements and expressions together and made the multi-textured choreography breathe effortlessly on stage. Their superbly synchronised performance seemed infinitely more picturesque, thanks to the vibrant, elegant costumes, designed by Tahsina Shahin. The dance drama, in its entirety, was visually striking. A noteworthy highlight, which deserves a special mention, was the music arrangement for the dance drama, which was absolutely spectacular throughout.

the costumes and lighting makes the production a bright, enjoyable one.

The script was adapted by Alomay Biswas, and brought to life by Jayanto Chattopadhyay, the key narrator for the dance-drama. The music was directed and composed by Sumon Sarkar from Kolkata. Celebrated artistes Khairul Anam Shakil and Priyanka Gope sang for the lead roles, while a group of young and talented singers from Bangladesh voiced the chorus segments under the lead duo's guidance. The classical portions were sung by Indian singers Sirsho Roy and Sumon Sarkar. Notable artistes Dahlia Ahmed, Shimul Mustapha, Tamanna Tithi, Debashish Chakrabortty and Jayonta Das narrated the dialogues for the play. The set and props were prepared by Hadi Mirza. Light design was prepared by Reaz Mahmud.)

The production was supported by Ministry of Cultural Affairs and sponsored by First Security Islami Bank Ltd., Meghna Bank Ltd., Bellissimo Ice Cream and ETunes.