I like watching plays at Academy of Fine Arts. Not only is it a proper proscenium theatre space, it also has this intellectual feel about it. You can almost sense the quiet contemplation in the air as you enter the Academy, and the people there are typical Bengali intellectuals.
I don't really look much like the regular audience you'll find at the Academy, because somehow I always turn up at the Academy looking as if I'd be better off at any of the city's multiplexes. Truth be told I am sort of an unorthodox mixture of the old and the new, a rebellious Bengali youth who at the same time is cultured and reflective. One who listens to Mohiner Ghoraguli and Linkin Park almost consecutively. This, however, is a mixed blessing. Although I can drift in and out of both worlds...I find it hard to fit into any one of them for too long.
Well, today I went to the Academy of Fine Arts after quite a period of time, and was rewarded with an extremely brilliant play. For quite a long time, I have wanted to see the play "Aguner Barnamala", but somehow I never managed to get around to seeing it. Today I decided to go for it almost on impulse, and I'm glad I did decide to go. "Aguner Barnamala" struck a chord with me, and I could almost identify with the characters being portrayed on stage. It effectively brought out our human frailties and traits, although presented in a fantastical manner. The lead actor, Debshankar Haldar, was excellent in the role of the psychiatrist Anirban, and even the actor portraying Kushal was really good. Good acting is not enough, though, and the script was fantastic. The way it delved into the recesses of the human mind, questioning whether there really is a neurotic in all of us was simply breathtaking. There were parts I really wished I could write that well.
This has inspired me to work on my play further and try to bring it to a whole new level. Perhaps one day someone else will say "I wish I could write like that" with regard to my work. As Aerosmith say, Dream On till your dreams come true.