Khona: An age-old story of defiance written in the stars
The play’s exploration of class and gender remains strikingly relevant today, capturing the audience's attention even in its 90th performance at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
As Khona and Mihir, two astrologists, analyse the night sky, dancers representing the stars glide onto the stage wearing white flowy garments. Light on their feet, with their bodies flowing with their garment, it almost seemed like they were floating.
In BotTala's rendition of Khona's story, it felt like the director and artistes were painting a picture, beckoning you to admire the beauty in each scene.
The story in the play Khona is just as powerful as it is beautiful. Written by Samina Luthfa Nitra and brought to life under the direction of Mohammad Ali Haider, it explores the profound struggles and resilience of women in a society that often denies them equality. BotTala staged the play at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's Experimental Theater Hall on 14 January.
The play follows the couple Khona and Mihir. Mihir's father, Boraho Mihir is also an astrologer like Khona (also known as Lolabati) and Mihir. While Mihir shows his utmost loyalty to his father, Khona is much more outspoken, causing a rift between Khona and Boraho.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
This breach deepens with Khona's determination to mingle with farmers, despite being forbidden to do so, leading to Boraho ordering Mihir to cut off Khona's tongue.
While the play's visuals are almost cinematic, it leans most of its weight on its dialogue. The true beauty—and the moments that moved the crowd to applause—were the proverbs and monologues.
In a defiant moment when the king and queen request Boraho to forgive Khona, the queen speaks up. Even when the king tries to silence her, the queen says that Khona is like her daughter, showing how only women can understand another woman's pain. At this moment, the immersion of play is broken in the best way possible—a whole theatre clapping for the queen.
It is hard to also discuss the aesthetics of the play without giving a nod to the production's costumes and props. Starting from the dancers representing the stars in their white costumes to the details of the sun on the backs of the astrologers Boraho and Mihir, each detail ties in with the play perfectly.
The fusion of live music into the act truly brought the story to life. The productions I've watched previously mostly relied on recorded music, and at times, it would feel oddly jarring when the tracks would change. Using live performers for the music made the transitions much more seamless.
However, there were times when the speakers malfunctioned, disrupting the audience's immersion in the play. Though the brief malfunction might have drawn out the audience, it did not phase the performers distracting them from their act.
Though it's an age-old tale, the themes of class and gender still resonate today. This relevance is likely why, even in its 90th show, the play nearly filled the entire theatre. The story and the production certainly left a lasting impact, stirring the audience to applaud and cheer as the performers took their bow.
