GUWAHATI, Aug 10 � The popular story of Tejimola by Lakshminath Bezboruah is perhaps one of the most widely interpreted narrations in the literary circle here. The depiction of a simple girl who loved her father and friends immensely and is mercilessly killed by her step mother has secured a permanent place in the collective psyche.
Now this story would be presented as a play conceptualized in the modern context by Guwahati Sishu Natya Vidyalaya. What would be different for producer and director Manik Roy this time is that his play would be judged by no other than the young people.
Children would be the audience and critic of this children�s play Tejimola Aru Ankita scheduled on August 12 at Rabindra Bhawan here. This special show for the children is slated at 11.30 am. Another show will be held at 6.45 pm and open to all.
It needs to be mentioned here that Guwahati Sishu Natya Vidyalaya has carved a niche for itself by promoting children�s theatre in the State and so far has produced 15 children�s play replete with messages for the society.
�Tejimola is a story which appeals to all irrespective of age. For the first time Guwahati Sishu Natya Vidyalaya will hold an interactive session with the child spectators after the play is over,� said Roy remarking that the session will give an opportunity to the children to interpret the story of Tejimola as well as point out the shortcomings and merits of the play.
Tejimola, it should be noted, has emerged as the symbol of the exploited and the interpretation of the story by Chandra Kumar Agarwal has found favour with the readers as his poem Tejimola emphasizes the point that Tejimola did not return back, a deviation from Bezboruah�s story that has a happy ending with Tejimola coming back to human life.
Students of three city based schools, Maharshi, Silpukhuri and Rajgarh and Guwahati Public School will be the audience of Tejimola Aru Ankita, and Roy said the reaction of the young spectators would be very important for him as the expectations of the new generation are different and even their perceptive faculty is amazing.
�Theatre is a powerful medium to portray the social issues. The experience of a critical analysis from the children on the spot would be a lesson for me,� said Roy.
Altogether, 30 child artistes would be playing different roles in the drama.
