Event Info
- Language: Assamese & Gibberish
- City / State: Assam
- Directed By: Sahidul Haque
- Produced By: Orchid Theatre
The Old Man
An Assamese adaptation of a Hemingway classic, this play deals with the eternal conflict between human society and nature
An Assamese adaptation of the Hemingway classic, The Old Man the Sea, this play deals with the eternal conflict between human exploitation of nature and nature’s ways of coping with it. Themes of loneliness and isolation heighten the surrounding tumult.
An Assamese adaptation of a Hemingway classic, this play deals with the eternal conflict between human society and nature
The play opens acquainting the audience with the protagonist Vodai, who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Vodai is considered the worst form of misfortune. Even his young apprentice Rongmon is advised to stay away. But, Rongmon visits Vodai every evening with food tales of his past.
Next day when Vodai ventures into the river, he puts up a brave fight with a big fish that takes his bait. When Vodai brings the fish home, it is devoured by crabs and shrimps on the way. He falls into a deep sleep upon reaching home. When he wakes up the following morning, he promises Rongmon to fish together once again.
NIRANJAN NATH
Voice Over poem
TAPAN KR BARUAH
Lights Design
CAST
Barnali Medhi
Chorus
Bikash Bangthai
Chorus
Himangshu Dewri
Chorus
Sahidul Haque
Chorus
CREW
Sahidul Haque
Concept, Design, Set Design, Choreography & Direction
Niranjan Nath & Dikha Moni Bora
Dramatize & text
Sonmoni Sharma
Music Design
Tapan Kr Baruah
Lights Design
Bahniman Nath
Children voice over
Barnali Medhi
Costume & Get up
Rituraj Gogoi
Music Operation
Bhaskar Jha
Subtitle Translation
Mrigakshi Parasar
Subtitle Operator
NIRANJAN NATH
- Best Actor in a Lead Role (Male)
SAHIDUL HAQUE
- Best Director
- Best Stage Design
- Best Choreography
TAPAN KR BARUAH
- Best Light Design
The Old Man is a dramatic adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s classic The Old Man and the Sea in Assamese. The mighty Brahmaputra with its tributaries flows through Assam, a state in the North-East of India. It is the lifeline of the people of this valley. The river is witness to the several ups and downs in the lives of the people living around it. These are people who earn their livelihood and are dependent on the river directly or indirectly, either as fishermen, boatmen or as daily wage laborers. The play conveys how humans have destroyed nature for their greed and nature has begun to show its anger in retaliation in the form of disasters. The region around the Brahmaputra faces frequent floods and the conflict between human society and nature goes on year after year.
The play also deals with loneliness, a complex and unpleasant emotional response to isolation. Loneliness typically includes anxious feelings about a lack of connection and communication with others, both in the present moment and extending into the future. As people grow old, loneliness begins to manifest itself in their lives in different forms and at some point, the feeling becomes synonymous with one’s existence. However, even as a situation seems hopeless, life gifts us with the will power and grit to push ourselves mentally towards a stronger, more positive and optimistic world view.