Hemendra Chowdhury: The story of a storyteller

My first impression of Hemedra Chowdhury was of a man who defied age with sheer willpower. The 92-year-old thespian brought a revolution in the remote village of Muktarpur, Sunamgonj. He sowed the seed of jatra amidst the people in the village.

Opening an old steel almira, the Master brought out his handwritten scripts, carefully wrapped in old plastic with naphthalene in it. “The people of this village had very little activity during monsoon. I thought of involving them in cultural activities, which would not only entertain, but also educate them,” he said. The playwright, actor and director has written over 25 unpublished plays.

“I was once sent a show-cause letter for missing 10 days of school as the head teacher,” laughed Hemendra. He then rented a boat, and set up a solo performance in response to the show cause letter. “ I pretended to be ill, and the authority believed it! Later, when I revealed the truth, they were so surprised that they asked me to continue my theater work.” Another round of laughter filled the room. 

Hemendra Chowdhury began writing since he was a student. He recalled the difficulties he faced to gather people and perform during the pre-liberation period. “Sourcing books was difficult and conducting cultural activities were also restricted,” he said.

Photo: Pranabesh Das

He approached the young people of the village and encouraged them to form a local theatre group. For over a decade, the group has been performing plays during Durga Puja and other occasions. Although he denies being political, his writings, whether historical, social or religious -- is a unique interpretation of the original text. Of all his plays, Swanalanka remains a popular one. The play is his interpretation of the Ramayan. Bidhan Chandra Chowdhury, the current Chairman of the village, played Ram in Swarnalanka for more than a decade. “I was taken aback when elderly ladies fell at my feet. Later, I realised that they were showing devotion to Ram, which I represented,” says Bidhan, who also plays the role of King Harishchandra in a different play.

“Sir has introduced us to this art form, and it has become a part of our life,” says Nitesh Chandra Das, the current member of the village, who is also an actor. Encouraged by Hemendra master, the youngsters of the village have formed their own groups to keep the spirit alive. 

Although Hemendra’s books are yet unpublished, his plays are performed by people of different generations, retaining the ancient form of theater of this land.