Bharat Rang Mahotsav: Chetana’s classic Jagannath to be staged at the national fest

Chetana’s vintage play Jagannath is 46 years old and yet its magic is still on. After its performance at Chetana’s 50-year celebration, the play will be staged in a new destination: New Delhi. The play got a special invitation to the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, an event by the National School of Drama. Jagannath will be the opening play of the event. 

The NSD chairman Paresh Rawal conveyed a heartfelt welcome to the Chetana group. How does the Chetana head Arun Mukhopadhyay feel to be the opening artist at the inauguration on such a stage where the all-India teams compete with each other? He told Anandabazar Online with his typical humour and brevity, “Obviously it is good. But when we got the news, we already celebrated, that was one year back.” 

Arun himself previously acted in this legendary role. Now, at the age of 85, he can't lead the stage. For the last 10 years, his younger son Sujan (Neel) Mukhopadhyay has been playing the role. New-generation theatre lovers, therefore, know Neel as Jagannath. He told Anandabazar Online, “Bharat Rang Mahotsav was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic. Jagannath was invited in 2021 to be the inaugural play. Paresh Rawal himself invited us, but the event did not take place. Hence we are going this year.”

Neel also said that the play was not staged after 2015. He got busy with new plays. But recently two shows of Jagannath took place at the 50-year celebration of Chetana. Neel said, “This pathbreaking play is staged twice at the 50-year celebration of Chetana, this is a great feeling.” 

The two famous productions of Chetana, Marich Sangbad, and Jagannath, have been staged many times both in the country and abroad. What is the magic behind the timelessness of these productions? 

Arun smiles, “You will miss it if you do not watch these two plays. These can not be recorded. I also want to close the old productions. But surprisingly, some plays live forever. They are still relevant. Plays that are made about the elementary thoughts of people do live on. Jagannath is such a play.”