Natyam Repertory Dhaka stages ‘Damer Mader’

Natyam Repertory Dhaka staged the 57th show of its production titled Damer Mader at the Experimental Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Monday.

Written by renowned playwright-actor-director Sadhana Ahmed, Damer Madar has been directed by Irin Parvin Lopa.

The play revolves around a community, who worships the Mader, the goddess of breath. Zarina Bibi, the chief of the community, pays homage to the Mader through music and dance with her followers. But Rashed Chowdhury, an extremist, tries to stop Zarina Bibi’s Mader-worshipping issuing a fatwa that singing is forbidden in Islam.

However, Rashed’s intention behind this is to seize the land and resources of Zarina Bibi. Besides, Rashed Chowdhury asks for Zarina Bibi’s granddaughter Nurbanu’s hand in marriage for his physically-challenged grandson and the story moves forward.

‘The spreading of Islam in Bengal started through Sufis. Subsequently, extremists have cracked down on Sufis. As a result, many of our music genres have been lost. One of those unique genres is Mader Jari. As the Mader-worshipping community believing in Sufism has also become extinct, I wrote the play Damer Mader to depict the struggle of this community,’ said Sadhana Ahmed, playwright of Damer Mader, adding, ‘I am very happy to see that theatre troupes are staging plays amid the Covid crisis for their unconditional love to art.’

‘Folk narrative is one of the richest traditions of Bengal. The narrative of Madar Pir has been recited in different parts of this region for years by the devotees of Madar Pir. I have enjoyed directing the play,’ Irin Parvin Lopa told New Age.

Shishir Rahman, Parvin Paru, Shamima Akter Mukta, Shubhasish Datta, Tanmoy, Tarak Nath Das, Khurshid Alam, Fazle Rabbi Sukarno, Jannatul Ferdous, Amitav Razib, Tahmina Khatun, Roksana Akhter Meghla, Shakil Ahmed, Sharful Islam Mamun, Ariful Islam, Delower Hossain, Rabiul Mahmud acted in the play.

[News article published on the NewAge on January 17, 2022. Please follow this link to read the original]