A Review of the third staging of the play Rangchak ni Khumpui in Muktodhara hall

Prasanta Chakraborty

April 21, 2026   

Natyabhumi Group Theatre staged their play Rangchak ni Khumpui in an audience-packed Muktodhara. It was their third show of the play, the first time was staged in Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan. It was based on an Indian classical play of Shudrak, Mṛcchakaṭika. Mṛcchakaṭika ("The Little Clay Cart"), a 10-act Sanskrit drama by King Śūdraka (c. 2nd century BC–5th century AD), follows the romantic tale of Charudatta, a noble but impoverished merchant, and Vasantasena, a wealthy, virtuous courtesan in ancient Ujjayini. Their love overcomes poverty, attempted murder, and political conspiracy by the evil Shakara.  The play Rangchak ni Khumpui blends classical Sanskrit drama with Tripuri folk culture. It is a fusion of traditional themes with local cultural elements, thereby making a successful attempt to reimage classical stories.At the very outset, the director, Partha Pratim Acharya, proclaims, like a chorus, the playwright's intention to deconstruct the love story of the classical play and bring to the fore their love for the country, which grew out of an individual’s love for the other. He quotes from various distinguished personalities, even Derrida, to justify the playwright’s intention to deconstruct. Quoting Derrida, Mr Acharya claims that Derrida suggests deconstructing a text to overturn the hierarchy. Mr Acharya further adds that, according to Romain Rolland, a play is the centre of power for the theatre-goers. He further points out that the little clay cart of Shudrak is Khumpui (a Ginger Lily flower)– in Rangchak ni Khumpui. This exercise on the part of the director seems unnecessary. Nevertheless, the director has taken care to use sound, background music, light, and even the songs from backstage appropriately.Madhumita Nath, as a playwright and an actress, is tremendously successful. So are the other characters. Nilashma Choudhury, playing the role of Larima, deserves special appreciation. Apraditi as Khumtia, Susmita Pal as Jayanti, Subhrajit Pal as Hamjakoma, Suman Majumder as Fankorok, Surajit Das as Thailafru, and Trishan Dev as Nokha deserve the audience's attention. The movement of Trishan while he was on his way to steal is superb. The character of the villain and his presence, his attempt to make love to Larima, and, in the climax, when, towards the end of the play, he killed Larima and wounded the Buddhist monk, create agitation against the villain and a sense of pity for the victim. The audience felt relieved when villainy was exposed, and the villagers’ united force defeated the villain. The relevance of the play in the troubled contemporary society is beyond any question. The last scene, where the old man meets the spirit of Larima, marks a universal appeal of love that is not conjured but everlasting- a love for the motherland that has been generated from the love of two individuals.In their role as Thoisa and Subrai, Samarjit Banik and Sarajit Deb deserve appreciation.   In her role as the Buddhist disciple, Hitoporna Saha seems a bit weak so far, as her voice modulation is concerned. Bikram Roy Choudhury, as Gaon Buro, has a small role to perform, but his long association with theatre attracted the audience’s appreciation.  Prabhat Rudra Paul, in his role as Tokhirai, is also good.It appears that certain additions have been made to the original thematic framework of the play since its first performance—an evolution that, without doubt, strengthens and sharpens its central thrust.The lighting and background music are deftly orchestrated by Pradip Das and Soumendra Nandy, lending the production a compelling atmospheric depth. Stage preparation and costumes are competently managed by Subhrajit Paul and Pijush Kanti Roy, ensuring visual coherence throughout. The costume design, helmed by Apradeeti, is both apt and thoughtfully executed. Above all, Parthapratim Acharya merits sincere appreciation for his meticulous direction, which binds every element of the staging into a cohesive and impactful whole.

   (Tripurainfo)

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