Kittonkhola - a transformative experience

Some things in life transform you in ways that you never imagined. Some time in March, I had auditioned for a role in Kittonkhola (while still rehearsing for Chini, my stage debut, directed by Raj Ray, founder of Yatraa). 

I received an email from BAAT saying that I had been selected, and the kickoff meeting for the entire cast was scheduled for March 8th at 9 pm PST online on Google Meet with Partha Pratim Deb (PPD) and his wife Rupa Deb from Kolkata. The idea was that we would be cast via virtual meetings, read our lines online once a week with Partha Da and Rupa di (on Thursdays), rehearse in person (on Fridays), and then, when PPD arrived, we would have daily rehearsals from May 9th to the day of the show. (Memorial weekend- May 25 and 26 at Spangenberg Theatre, Palo Alto)

It would be difficult, and I was rethinking before committing to such a rigorous rehearsal schedule. There were a lot of unknowns- 

• How long would the daily rehearsals be, 
• How far was the location for the rehearsal going to be, and 
• Was my character duration on stage worth the effort I would put in?

I got all my answers in due time. 

The original "Kittonkhola" is a legendary drama written by the renowned playwright Selim Al Deen (সেলিম আল দীন), set in rural Bangladesh, and delves deep into the duality of joyous rural cultures and life’s harsh realities.  As homework, I decided to watch a movie adaptation and found that the script we were reading lines from was a lot different from the movie storyline.

PPD adapted the script and made some adjustments to accommodate actors like me into the script. For example, there is no love triangle between Shonai (played by PPD), Banashree Bala (played by Rupa Deb), and Dalimon (played by Pinka Di) and there was no one named Anandi Amma (my character) in the original script either. What struck me most was how accurately PPD had cast each character just by meeting us online. 

Scenes from the May 25 Performance 

 

My first day of rehearsal with PPD

The eagle had landed, and we were all excited to meet him. I had offered my house as the rehearsal location, and there were both pros and cons. The pros were that I could be in the comfort of my house and act as the occasional host, even though everyone took turns bringing in dinner and helping clean up later. The cons were that we had to clean up every day after rehearsals, and it was no small offering. My husband Sangram seemed more excited than me, ensuring everyone felt at home.

 Celebrating Anindya Da's birthday after rehearsal 

I remember feeling so good 😊 

I realized that I was experiencing a great bonding exercise. I have made friends for life, and I will do everything possible to help them out if needed. Even now, when I chance upon them, I feel good to see them. We take a lot of goofy "Kittonkhola" cast pictures at every social event, be it the 10th Anniversary of Dishari Public Library or Bay Area Band Fest- there are always familiar faces to greet and hug you.

Some of the amazingly talented people I met during Kittonkhola

So, yes, the answer to my question- was it worth reducing your social life to zero and committing to rehearsing for the plays from 7 to 11 pm on weekdays, having a full-time job, and then rehearsing again from 10 am to 6 pm on weekends? Totally.

This has also allowed me to push myself and be surprised by what I am capable of both physically and mentally. 

The biggest takeaway was probably from the June 1 and 2 workshops with Partha Da and Rupa Di. We learned a folk song, did improv acting, and even developed a skit called "The Merchant of Venice of Bay Area"- a modern-day take on the Shakespearean version. I lost my marbles almost when I got to redo the courtroom scene. We had that in the syllabus for ICSE English Literature when I graduated in my Sophomore year. And this time, I got to play Portia instead of Antonio. ;) 

Sometimes, you have to wait 24 years to play your dream role. 

Returning to the workshop, two fun-filled days were an extension of my learning experience. But what stayed with me were the lines both Partha Da and Rupa di hammered into our brains- loosely translated - 

"Theater is an aesthetic (নান্দনিক) art

Your body is a part of that aesthetic. How you present yourself on stage will influence your audience.

If you are overweight, slow to move, and low on energy, your audience will sense that too and you will fail to entertain them to the fullest."

Without fat-shaming, they managed to tell us why you should not let yourself go.

I am lazy, and I always have more potential than kinetic energy.  But I decided to change that. They are several years our senior, but the way they move with energy, how they started rehearsing the very day they landed in San Francisco  after traveling long hours of international flights from Kolkata, and how they always impressed us by being prime examples of vitality themselves is what I will remember the most about my "Kittonkhola" experience. 

Yes, I learned more about acting, voice projection, and scales. But most importantly, I learned to take better care of myself—so much so that my boss noticed my visible change in energy level. I do feel better, and I hope I will continue this growth. Movement is life.