Review: Oka Anokha Roopkatha Chalk Circle, Lamakaan, Hyderabad, India

A powerful multilingual adaptation of Brecht's classic The Caucasian Chalk Circle, that brings contemporary today's social and political realities to the stage.

What happens when Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle is transported from post-war Europe to contemporary India? Oka Anokha Roopkatha Chalk Circle, adapted and directed by Swapan Mondal, offers an inventive answer. The play opens with Hemanta Mukhopadhyay’s famous Bengali patriotic song, Maa Go Bhabna Keno, a stirring anthem about courage and defending the motherland that portrays the children of the country reassuring their mother that while they are peaceful, they know how to pick up weapons to fight off enemies when danger arises. This powerful opening note is sung by one of the villagers, played by Surya Dev Chandra. Beginning against the backdrop of the farmers’ protest in Punjab, the production subsequently turns theatre itself into an act of protest, while bringing Brecht’s concerns with power, justice, inequality and ownership into a contemporary Indian context.

Its most striking feature is its multilingualism. Performed in Telugu, Bengali, Hindi and English, the production brings together actors from different parts of India and allows their linguistic and cultural diversity to become part of the theatrical experience. Language choices even map onto character dynamics: the villainous figures speak Telugu, Suma (played by Meena Sola) and her lover Suman (played by Nikhil Kumar) communicate in Telugu, the aristocratic Subedarni (played by Souravi Ray) speaks English, and other ensemble members shift across Hindi, Bengali and Telugu, while the chorus and the eccentric judge, Mushtaq (played by Swapan Mondal), fluidly bridge multiple languages. Yet language rarely becomes a barrier; through gesture, movement, music, rhythm and physical storytelling, the performers demonstrate how theatre can create a common language even among people who do not share a mother tongue.

The character journey centers around Suma, a devoted maid who selflessly picks up the abandoned child of the tyrannical Subedar Agni Pratap Singh after his assassination and her fleeing wife abandon it. Suma undergoes severe ordeals to raise and protect the child, eventually fighting a powerful legal battle in court against the wealthy Subedarni when ownership and property rights come into question. Unlike the elite who covet material wealth, Suma fights purely for the child's well-being, ultimately winning the court's verdict.

This principle extends to the production design. With performers playing multiple roles, the staging relies on minimal props and simple costumes. Sticks, bottles, a clay pot and everyday objects are transformed into whatever the story requires. The actors themselves become the scenery: they form a bridge for Suma to cross a river, transform into demons, soldiers and villagers, and even create the flowing river while singing a Bengali folk song (Kurla Nadir Uthal Patal inspired from Torsha Nadir Uthal Patal by Nazrul Islam). Quick costume changes and the addition of simple costume pieces distinguish one character from another.

The result is theatre built almost entirely through collective imagination. As you watch, the choreography reveals a group that has developed tightly synchronized, strong, and highly energetic movements; at certain points, this kinetic energy radiates right out into the audience. Backed by a chorus whose voices ring out so loud and clear that the performers do not need any stage mics, it is clearly visible that the play has been exhaustively rehearsed. The production deeply resonates with the philosophy of Jerzy Grotowski’s Poor Theatre and Badal Sircar’s Third Theatre.

The ensemble featuring Souravi Ray, Swapan Mondal, Reshma Begum, Surya Dev Chandra, Aditya Singh, Ananth Vikram, Sanchoyita Kar, Meena Sola, Sourabh Singh, Rahul Max, Dharmendar Sai, Pranay Bhardwaj,Nikhil Kumar and Nageshwar Naidu Pamidipati, handles the demands of the production with considerable commitment. Moving between farmers, soldiers, peasants, and the other characters, the performers create a constantly shifting theatrical landscape, executing energetic and well-choreographed movements across the stage. The production is not without its challenges. Its extended runtime, densely layered dialogue and frequent transitions can occasionally slow the dramatic momentum. The multilingual structure, while one of its greatest strengths, also demands sustained concentration and can sometimes dilute the emotional arc.

Oka Anokha Roopkatha Chalk Circle remains an ambitious and imaginative piece of independent theatre. By combining Brecht with India's linguistic plurality, folk traditions and contemporary political realities, it demonstrates how a classic work can acquire new meanings in a radically different cultural landscape.

Reviewer: Kanta Biswas

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Venue & Performance Date: Lamakaan, Hyderabad, India | 28 August, 2022

Director: Swapan Mondal

Playwright: Bertolt Brecht

Cast: Souravi Ray, Swapan Mondal, Reshma Begum, Surya Dev Chandra, ​Aditya Singh, Ananth Vikram, Sanchoyita Kar, Meena Sola, Sourabh Singh, Rahul Max, Dharmendar Sai, Pranay Bhardwaj, Nikhil Kumar, Nageshwar Naidu Pamidipati

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