Meghnad theatre review: A play that dissects academic prejudice

Cast: Chandan Sen, Santilal Mukherjee, Rwitobroto Mukherjee, Panchanan Banerjee, Alokananda Dutta Director: Chandan SenDuration: 130 minLanguage: BengaliCritic's Rating: 3.5Genre: DramaProduced by Ashoknagar Natyanan and based on a play by Sudipto Bhowmik, Meghnad traces the life and struggles of renowned scientist and social reformer Dr.

Meghnad Saha. Best known for his contributions to astrophysics and his role in shaping developmental initiatives such as the Damodar Valley Corporation in post-Independence India, Saha emerges here not merely as a scientist but as a relentless challenger of social inequality and intellectual complacency.Marginalized because of his caste background, Saha is shown confronting entrenched prejudices through reason, evidence, and scientific inquiry.

His refusal to remain silent in the face of discrimination becomes both his greatest strength and, at times, a source of isolation. The production moves through key phases of his life, from his childhood in present-day Bangladesh to his years in Kolkata as a student, researcher, and public intellectual.The director gradually constructs the protagonist in a manner reminiscent of his namesake from Michael Madhusudan Dutta’s Meghnadbadh Kabya. Just as Dutta’s poem grapples with loss, injustice, and the moral ambiguities of victory, this production repeatedly returns to the theme of systemic unfairness.

The audience witnesses both the humiliations Saha endured and the hypocrisy of those who opposed him, often through arguments that remain unsettlingly familiar even today. A particularly effective scene features a self-proclaimed Sanskrit scholar being intellectually dismantled by Saha.The play also turns its attention to the education system, critiquing the selective omission of scientific and historical narratives that foster critical thinking.

Through carefully chosen historical details, it raises questions about how knowledge is shaped, presented, and sometimes manipulated to serve particular agendas. At the same time, it champions the scientific temper, emphasizing the importance of examining all sides of an issue before reaching conclusions.

These moments rank among the production’s most thought-provoking.Employing lightweight movable props and a simple board to indicate shifts in time, the production maintains a brisk pace. As the young Meghnad Saha, Rwitobroto Mukherjee delivers a spirited performance marked by conviction and intensity. Shantilal Mukherjee, despite a relatively brief appearance, brings considerable authority to the stage.

Panchanan Banerjee lends warmth and dignity to Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, while Alokananda Dutta’s portrayal of Ratna Saha provides welcome emotional grounding.While some acting choices could have been more nuanced, the production succeeds in what it sets out to do. Rather than offering a straightforward biographical account, Meghnad urges audiences to question the structures that govern knowledge, opportunity, and recognition. By examining patronage, exclusion, and nepotism within academic spaces, it highlights issues that remain deeply relevant, making the play as much about the present as it is about the past.