‘Mukhomukhi’ premieres at Shilpakala Academy tomorrow

A new stage production titled "Mukhomukhi", directed and conceptualised by Dhiman Chandra Barman, will premiere tomorrow at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). The performance, which is open and free to all visitors, is scheduled to begin at 7pm.

Staged by Theatre Web and organised by the academy under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the play unfolds through a series of fragmented scenes that examine authoritarian violence, collective trauma, and human resistance. Rather than following a linear plot, "Mukhomukhi" weaves together anti-war sentiments and political memory, echoing the spirit of last year's July movement.

Speaking to Ajker Patrika, director Barman said, "It's a montage of broken stories—each depicting how individual suffering under oppression accumulates until it erupts as public revolt."

The cast includes Al Mamun, Poly Chowdhury, Fauzia Afrin Tilu, Mujahidul Islam Rifat, Srijukto Mondol, Sanjit Kumar De, Saima Selim Anika, Sworup Ratan Lalon, and Hasib Ul Islam. 

The visual design of the production is credited to Mohsina Akter (costume), Amit Chowdhury and Hasan Ishtiaq Imran (choreography), and Jadid Imtiaz (projection). Barman himself handles set, light, and overall direction.

Music and sound are designed by Ragib Nayeem, with projection operation by Mammadur Rahman. The technical and production team includes Rabi Prarombho, Mehedi Hasan Sohan, Ashraful Islam, Tanvir Ahmed, Robiul Ahmed, Palok Das, Ratan Dhar, Arpa Banik, Priyanka Talukdar, Gautam De, and Sharmistha Roy.