A Kushtia based troupe stages Nochhimoner Pala on Friday. — Snighdha Zaman

The 5-day traditional theatre festival organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy inaugurated through staging of a popular traditional performing art form pala by Salak Nochhimon Shilpi Goshthi on Friday at the Experimental Theatre Hall of the academy.
The worthy presentation of the traditional art titled Nochhimoner Pala, written and directed by Khulna Betar artiste Rezaul Haq Salak, was a perfect treat for the urban audience.
The academy also honoured five personalities for their contribution in promoting traditional performing art form.
Five male artistes of the troupe enacted different characters in the fable, which narrates the tragic life of a prince of an imaginary kingdom named Alam, who had to leave from his wife Nachhimon on the marriage night to keep the promise of his father to a saint.
The skill of the actors in the well-crafted performance that shows a happy ending through re-union of Alam and Nachhimon, was highly appreciated by the houseful audience.
It should be mentioned that the troupe has been staging Nochhimoner Pala for the past decade. In fact, it has become so popular that locals these days know the 35-year old Toma Shilpi Goshthi as Salak Nochhimon Shilpigosthi (after the name of the director and the production) in the south-west region of the country.
‘This 90-minute show at Shilpakala is the summery of the real show of 36-hour production that we stage in three- consecutive night in rural areas.’ informed Mohammad Abdul Khaled, music director of the pala.
One of the audiences, Sumi Das, a theater activist told New Age, ‘I always try to follow folk theatre troupes’ performances arranged in Dhaka as every time I learn a lot from them. And tonight’s performance is not an exception. I enjoyed their spontaneous performance comprised of dialogues, body movement, live music and facial expression.’
Jharna Sarkar, another audience, said ‘They are so skilled in acting that it seems their spelling skill is coming out spontaneously without any deliberate effort. They could create the perfect theatre with limited logistic supports like fixed-light, cheap costume and almost on empty space.’
Chief guest of the inauguration programme advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, state minister for housing and public works, declared the festival opened at the Conference Room of Bangladfesh Shilpakala Academy and handed over crests and token money to five personalities.
For mammoth contributions in sustaining and developing folk theatre across the country, this year Shilpakala honoured Birandranath Roy from Magura, Manik Sarkar from Comilla, Sri Gapal Modak from Kishorganj, Tachher Mandal from Natore and Babu Pagal Chandra Goshwami from Narail.  
Earlier, a lively seminar, titled ‘Bangladesher Theatre: Oitijjho, Adhunikata’, was presented by Dr. Lutfar Rahman, a professor at Drama and Dramatics department of Jahangirnagar University at the Conference Room of the academy.