The Indian Stage Vol II

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OSMANIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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THE INDIAN STAGE

Vol II.

By
HEMENDRA NATH DAS GUPTA

Girish Ghosh Lecturer, Calcutta University.

1938

Published by
M. K. DAS GUPTA, B. A.
124/5, Russa Road! Kalighat,
CALCUTTA.

Printed by

Pulin Bihari Sarkar at

Metropolitan Printing & Publishing House Ltd.
90, Lower Circular Eoad, Calcutta.

Price Rs. 5/-
Foreign 10 Shillings.

To

SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJEE, Esq.

Vice-chancellor, Calcutta University.

PREFACE

Dr. Jolian Vanmanen, who wrote a masterly and
erudite preface to my first volume of the Indian
Stage, has also dealt with the contents of the present
volume in the said preface and no further introduc-
tion is therefore necessary. I beg to express my
heart-felt gratitude to him for the appreciative
references he has made about me.

The first volume deals with the stage as described
in "Natyasastra", dramas and stage as inscribed
in rocks and stones, dramas of Bhasa, Kalidasa
and Bhavabhuti, Yatras and the plays in which
Sriehaitanya took delight and the full history of
the English Stage of the eighteenth century the
Play House, the Calcutta Theatre, the Chowringhee
Theatre and the Sansouci Theatre, and the stages
in the houses of Babus Prasanna Kumar Tagore
and Nabin Krishna Bose, up to the middle of the
nineteenth century.

The present volume takes us to the earliest
Bengali Dramas including Bhadrarjun Natak, Kulin-
kuiasaarvaswa, Sakuntala, Venisanhar, Sarmistha,
Bidhavabivaha Natak, Nildarpan Natak and Ram-
abhisek and other Nataks and how these were

11

staged. Later, we get a full history as to how
the theatre that was confined to the few aristocratic
families came to be moulded by a middle class expert,
and last of all, the sensational stories that read like a
romance, as to how the theatre was put under a ban
under the Dramatic Performances Act.

It will be height of ingratitude on my part if I
fail to acknowledge the kindly help rendered by
my ex-pupil Mr. Sacchidananda Bhattacharya, the
merchant prince of Bengal and an erudite scholar,
philosopher and philanthropist towards the
publication of this and the previous volume. But
for his help and encouragement, neither of the
volumes would have seen the light of the day.

Pandit Narendra Chandra Vedantatirtha, M.A. has
put me under a deep debt of obligation by going
through the whole book in proofs and giving the
correct rendering of the diacritical words. I am also
thankful to my friends Messrs. Amulya Bhusan
Chatterjee, M.A. and Sailendra Nath Sen, B. Com.
for the kind assistance rendered by them.

I must admit with gratitude the help rendered
to me by Mr. Sailendra Nath Mitra M.A., Secretary
Post-graduate Department, Calcutta University, Babu
Nalini Ran] an Pandit, Kiran Chandra Dutt M.R.A.S.,
and Babu Kshetra Mohan Mitra, the famous actor
of the Bengali Stage. All of them helped me
materially. I have got much help from my friends

Ill

Mr. B. N. Das, B.L., M.L.A., Rangoon and Prof. Jitesh
Chandra Guha M.A., B.L.

I received enormous assistance from Babu
Devendra Nath Bose, one of the distinguished
authors and critics of the day and Natyacharya
Amrita Lai Bose, who was a victim of the unjust
Surendra-vinodini prosecution.

My books contain the fruits of unremitting
researches, in this particular department of Indian
culture, carried on for twenty years under great
difficulties. The Calcutta University has already
given me enough patronage and I hope and trust,
the book will receive the warmest appreciation from
the cultured public.

124/5 B, Russa Road,

Calcutta. Author.

CONTENTS.

Chapter I.
The Early Bengali Plays.

Chandi, Chitrayajna, Chhadmavesh, Vidyasundar,

Bhaiiumatir Chittavilas, Bhadrarjun, Kulin-kula-sarvaswa.

... JLJL. I~~"~o5.

Chapter II.

Sakuntala at Chhatu Babii's House, Ramnarain's
Plays, Kaliprasanna Sinha's Vidyotsahini Theatre.

Veni-samhar, Kumar-sambhav Natak, Savitri-
Satyavan. ... ... ... PP. 3651

Chapter III.
The Belgachhia Theatre.

Ratnavali, Sarmistha, Ekci ki bale Sabhyata, Krishna-
kumari. Kcshav Chandra on the Stage, Bidhavavivaha
Natak. ... ... ... PP. 5290

Chapter IV.
Dinabandhu Era*

East Bengal Stage, Nildarpan Natak, Rev- J. Long's
prosecution. ... ... ... PP. 91 101

Chapter V.
Three Aristocratic Theatres.

Pathuriaghata Theatre Vidyasundar, Bujhle kina.
Music at Pathuriaghata. Jorasanko Theatre Navanatak.
Shobhabazar Theatre Valmiki-protibha.

PP. 10213Q

VI

Chapter VI.
The Bengali Theatre of Bowbazar.

Manomohan Bose, dramatist his Ramabhisek Natak,
Sati, Harischandra PP. 129134

Chapter VII.
Opera Yatras.

Other theatres Padmavati at Burtola, Naldamayanti
at Bagbazar. Sakuntala at Arpuli, Usha-Aniruddha,
Kichhu kichhu Bujhi, Kavi contests in theatre.

PP. 135148

Chapter VIII.
The National Theatre.

Sadhavar Ekadashi, Girish Chandra Ghose's Nimchand,
Girishand Dinabandhu Litavati, Nildarpan Natak at
Public theatre, Naisho Rupea, Bharatmata, Bhimsingh.
National and Hindu National. Girish, the father of the
Bengali Stage. ... ... ... PR 149218

Chapter IX.
Bengal Theatre.

Sarmistha, first actresses on the Stage. PP. 219 227

Chapter X,
Great National Theatre.

Bhuvanmohan Neogi, Kamyakanan on 31st Dec., 1873,
Mrnalini Anandakanan PP. 28 2242

Chapter XI.
Dramatic Performances Act.

National Dramas, Prince of Wales's visit, Gajadananda
and other farces, Surendra-Vinodini Prosecution and
Trial, Chakardarpan Natak the Act. PP. 243288

Authoritative

Books on Drama & Stage by the

Author.*

(1) Indian Stage I. (Recommended for the
B.A, Classes by the Calcutta University), Us. 5/-

(2) Indian Stage II. Rs. 5/-

(3) Girish-pratibha (in Bengali) with a
commentary on the social, historical and mytho-
logical dramas of Girish Chandra Ghose.

(4) Girish Chandra Ghose's place in
Bengali Drama and Stage (University Publica-
tion) to be shortly out.

(5) Dani Babu and the Bengali Stage from
1886 to 1032 Rs. 2/-

*Deshabandhu-smrti (2nd Edition) in two
volumes in Bengali to be shortly out. The reminis-
cences read like romance and the history of Bengal
politics is most interesting Price Rs. 3/-, each
volume.

INDIAN STAGE

Vol. II

I. THE EARLY BENGALI PLAYS

We have seen from the preceding volume that
though the revival of the Drama in Bengal dates from
the time of Hrlchaitanya, direct impetus to the
modern Bengali stage was, however, given by the
early English Theatres of Calcutta, of which the
Chowringhee Theatre stood the most prominent. This
historic house exercised a great deal of influence upon
the educated community of the Hindu citizens of
(Calcutta and its principal patron in its evil days was
the late Prince Dwarka Nath Tagore. The Yatras,
on the other hand, that were the mo in source of popu-
lar entertainment, fell into decline on account of their
degenerating into low taste and high erotic tune.
This caused indeed a great loss to the country, for in
the absence of other mediums, the Yatras were a kind
of popular institution for the spread of mass education.
Really with the disappearance of the Yatras, many
good things were lost to Bengal.

The introduction of dramatic performances in the
place of the ancient Yatras was to a great extent due
to the spirit of the time. Bengal was then passing
through a phase of rapid changes. The leaven of
the western civilisation entered into Bengali life and
it rapidly attacked the Bengali society both for good
and bad- Yatras, too, degenerated into vulgar shows,
and educated minds discountenanced those altogether.
Thus when first the Hindu Theatre was opened at
the house of Babu Prasanna Kumar Tagorc, a Re-
former" writing in the Calcutta Journal, January,
1832 (pp. 6-7), was jubilant at the resuscitation of
the Hindu Theatre, as will be evident from the fol-
lowing quotation from that Journal :

''What child of enlightenment, what men of
patriotic feelings will not hail with raptures of joy
that day when our hitherto degraded countrymen
will turn their backs with disgust against the gross,,
barbarous and obscene performance of Gobies and
Yatras to relieve their aching heart by the sign of a
rational and dignified performance on the stage of
our Hindu Theatre ?"

Raja Ram Mohan, too, at about the time boldly
attacked the huge mass of superstitions accumulated
through centuries of slavery and national degeneracy.
He reformed the language, held up the lofty religious
cult of the Upanisads and banished from the land
many shameful practices and atrocious crimes that
were perpetrated in the name of religion. The great

reformer was followed by a host of capable apostles of
light, and their names are the proud legacy of that
eventful time. Religion, morality, politics, literature
and art came under the pitiless glare of critical
inquiry and much filth and dirt were removed to
help a healthy national growth. In this all-embrac-
ing movement for national regeneration, drama
replaced the ancient Yatras. Many notable persons
of that time lent their hands in this particular depart-
ment of poetic art. Even men like Keshav Chandra
Sen, Pratap Chandra Ma/Aimder, Narendra Nath Sen,
W. C. Banerjee, Michel Madhusudan Dutt, and
Rajendra Lala Mitra took active part in dramatic
performance, each one an intellectual force of Bengal,
not to speak of the deathless glory which Keshav
Sen reaped as a religious preacher. Even the aristo-
cracy did not lag behind ; many cultured and wealthy
Citizens of Calcutta worked for the uplift of the
people and drama received great patronage in their
hands. No civilised nation can be without its drama,
and it was only natural for such intellectual giants
like Madhusudan, and Keshav Chandra to espouse
the popular cause. Bengali drama was thus in a

tage of development and we would better treat the

abject in its chronological order.

The pioneer in introducing dramatic performances

Bengali, as we have already seen, was Lebedefr,

with his worthy co-adjutor Golak Nath Das,

'1 in 1795, a Bengali play for the entertainment

4

of the Bengali audience but time drew a veil of
oblivion over their noble efforts, though they surely
deserve grateful tribute of Bengal. The man who
next took up this cause was Nobin Krishna Bose,
who staged Bharat Chandra's Vidya-mndar in his
residential house at Shyambazar in 1833. In the
interval between Lebedeif s enterprise and Nabin
Babu's Theatre, there were exhortations in the
Samacaracandrika and occasionally by others for
dramatic performance in Bengali, but they went un-
heeded, though almost every educated man of that
time felt the want of a Bengali Stage. It was only
in 1831 that the liberal and enlightened Zeminder,
Prasanna Kumar Tagore with his colleagues started
the Hindu Theatre for the entertainment of the
Bengali audience. But the plays acted there were
all in English- Nabin Babu's Theatre was really
the first genuine endeavour for the performance of
Bengali drama, after a lapse of about thirtyeight
years from Lebedeff s ! After Nabin Babu's Theatre,
the Bengali students and actors again reverted to
English plays and the Oriental Theatre staged
English plays for the entertainment of the educated
Bengalees. But with time at last there grew ar
anxious craving for the Bengali plays.

In the preceding volume we have mentioned o
or two Bengali plays, but we shall now trace
growth of the modern Bengali Drama from ifr
Sanskrit model to its present westernised

Attempts were at first made to write Bengali dramas
after Sanskrit style. But since such plays did not
meet with public approval, the Sanskrit model was
given up and was replaced by the western ideal.

The growth of the Bengali drama is really inter-
esting, for in the beginning the attempts were only
crude- The most noticeable attempt to write a
Bengali Drama was that by Bharat Chandra, the
famous poet of the Vidyasundar. It was he who
first thought of introducing Bengali dialogues and
Bengali characters in a Bengali drama. He com-
menced the drama Cancel shortly before his death.
In the opening verse or Nandi, the sutradhara
eulogises the virtues of the poet's patron, Raja
Krishna Chandra of Krishnanagore, a Bengali
Zeminder of repute who lived at the time of the Battle
of Plassey. The characters of the drama are Goddess
Candi, her enemy Mahisasur and the Praja or the
people.

The Sutradhara speaks in Sanskrit, but his wife,

Nati, replies in Bengali, as a woman does in Prakrit

in a Sanskrit drama. Goddess Candi, the demon

Mahisasur and other characters speak in Bengali.

But their dialogues contain an excessive mixture of

Sanskrit, Hindi and Persian words. The poet died

^fore the play was completed. One cannot too much

*;ret the loss, for it was the first attempt after a

agali drama by the greatest poet of that time.

6

This is the fragment of the first Bengali drama that
we possess, and was written about the year 1760.

After a lapse of about twenty years, there was
another attempt to write a drama in Bengali by a
Sanskrit scholar, Pandit Yidyanath Vachaspati
Bhattacharya of Nadia. The name of the drama is
Citrayajna. It is the second instance of a Bengali
drama.

Though Babu Kaliprasanna Sinha calls it a
Sanskrit Drama*, H. H. Wilson considers it as a
heterogeneous composition. It was composed about
the year 1778.* "It is so far valuable," says Wilsonf
"as conveying a notion of the sort of attempts at
dramatic composition made by the present race of
Hindus in Bengal. The Yatras or Jatras which are
occasionally represented in the Bengali language
follow the plan of Citrayajna, with still less preten-
sions to a literary character. They are precisely the
Improvista Coined ia of the Italians, the business
alone being sketched by the author and the whole of
the dialogue supplied by the actors. The dialogue is
diversified by songs which are written and learnt by
heart. Some improvement, however, has been madei

* Vide preface to Vikramorvasi translated in Bengal
about the year 1857, under the auspices of 4l Vidyotsahi* '
Sabha. It speaks of Citrayajna, written about 80 ye?

ago."

\ Vide Wilson's "The Theatre of the Hindus , Apper<

of late years, in the representation of the perform-
ance ; the details of the story are more faithfully
and minutely followed and part of the dialogue is
composed and taught by the author to the actors."

(3) The third noticeable attempt was that of
Lebedeff and we have made extensive reference to
the translation of Disguise and its representation on
the stage in Vol. I, pages 219-258.

(4) We next hear of a farcical comic piece Kali-
raj ar Jatra which was played in 1821. The
Samvadakaumudl a vernacular paper edited by
Raja Ram Mohan Roy in its issue No. VIII of
1821 mentions a drama named Kalirajar Jatra
(which to convey the spirit of the drama, may be
translated as the ''Journey of Mephistoples").
Unfortunately, a copy of this journal could not be
found, but we have from the Calcutta Review of
1850 (Vol. XIII page 160) stating that "a new
drama, Kalirajar Jatra is being performed.' 5

The word '' Jatra" has, however, raised some mis-
conceptions in the minds of some critics who hold it
was not a drama. The Samvadakaumudl describes
the play as a comedy. The Calcutta Review calls it
"drama". "Jatra" here does not mean "the musical
opera" but only "journey 7 , as has been amply shown
in the following account given in English in the Sep-
tember issue of the Asiatic Journal, 1822 which

8

derived its information from the Bengali paper, the
Samvadakaicmudl :

"A descriptive account of a drama newly invented and
of the characters personated in it. It is denomi-
nated the "Colly Raja's Jatra". It was stated
in a former number that when a full account of
the comedy was received it should be laid be-
fore the public. It is composed of various actors
who arc well -versed in the act of "Singing and
dancing". The following is the order o their
appearance on the stage. First, two Baistambas ;
second, the Kaliraj ; third, the Vizier; fourth, the
preceptor; fifth, a noble and well-dressed English-
man "Just come from Chattogram'' with a lady;
sixth, the only man-servant and maid-servant of
this young gentleman. In the last scene when
all these are assembled, they began to dance and
sing with a voice as melodious as that of the
Cuckoo, talk witty things and thus excite the
laughter and put into rapture those Babus who
assembled there from different quarters and
some of whom arc very much interested that
in process of time this comedy will become
very popular/'

No doubt Yatras were in vogue at that time and
Samacaradarpan, 26th Jan. 1822 called it a musi-
cal opera "Natoon Jatra", but here 'Jatra' evidently
refers to the journey of the Kaliraj from Chittagong
to Calcutta and it is doubtful if the editor of Darpan
saw the performance A similar idea is found in
Pandit Khirode Prasad Vidyavinode's Dada Didi

9

staged in 1907, a play since put under ban by the
Government. In so late a play as Kliasdakhal by
the veteran comedian, late lamented Babu Amrita
Lai Bose, we find Kali * directing his steps towards
Calcutta where, he says, a good many of his institu-
tions have thrived. The above piece was really not
a Yatra and Raja Ram Mohan, too, would not
have called it a drama, if it really were not so.
Besides, the only kind of Yatra in vogue at that
time was the Krsna Yalra, or Nala-Damayantl
Yatra or the like and there is hardly any tradition
preserved in Bengal about a Yatra in which Kali
figures as a character. On the other hand, people had
commenced to feel a liking for English theatres.

(5) That similar light dramas were at that time
represented, may be gathered from the same number
of the Asiatic Journal, borrowing facts from the
Samvadakaumudl of 1822 in its issue V. The
significant lines occur there :

''Letter from a correspondent pointing out the
immoral and evil tendencies of dramas or plays
recently invented and performed by a number of
youngmen and recommending their suppression/'^

* Kali is the evil genius of this age, who like a second
Lucifer delights in leading men astray in perverse ways
which ultimately lead to their destruction.

I (A. J. Sept. 1822.)

2

10

It is not possible to find out what and of what
type those dramas were. Obviously, they were not
dramas of good taste. Most likely, they were
farcical comedies or Satirical plays but certainly
they were not Yatras as treated of Krsna and Gopfs,
Nala and Damayanti or, at later stage, of Vidya
and Sundara.

(G) The Calcutta Journal speaks of a new book,
a translation from English of William Franklin's
Comroopa by Babu Jagamohan Bose of Bhowanipur,
who from the above work again published a comedy
denominated The Comroopa Yatra* The comedy
was performed on Saturday night, the 9th March
1822, at the house of Shyamsundar Das of the
same place/ 1 ' This too was not a Yatra but meant
journey to Comroopa.

(7) We have next noticed Kisna Misra's
Probodhcandrodaya Natalc at page 70 Vol. I. of this
book. A Bengali translation of the drama was
published in the year 1822 under the name of
Atmatattvakaumudl, the translators being Kashinath
Tarkapanchanan, Gadadhar Nyayaratna and Ram-
kinkar Siromani. It was in 6 Acts. There is a mention
of this book in the catalogue of books in the British
Museum also."}* It is an instance of the early attempt

* Calcutta Journal, Vol. II, NO. 76, p. 309, 1822.

| Vide, Dr. Jayantakumar Das Gupta's article ^Sorne
early dramas in Bengal" in the Advance, dated loth April,

11

of the Hindus to bring out only translations of
Sanskrit dramas. It was also really admirable to
publish drama at a time when a section of the people
was fond of very light shows. It was priced at
Rs 2/- and printed at the Chandrika Press. (Vide,
Samacaracandrika of 1831, 2nd. May).

(8) Rev. J. Long in his catalogue of 1100
Bengali books, published in 1852, speaks of :

(i) Hasyaniava, a farce written in 1822.

We have not got a copy of this, but would supply
our readers with an English translation of the
review by Rajendra Lala Mitra in his Vivid/ia-
rthasangraha of Chait, 1780 (Haka) :

''Under the cover of u dramatic piece, foolish lust-
ful King, avaricious minister, ignorant physi-
cian, cowardly soldiers have all been severely
dealt with ; though it is laughable and short, it
is not received with regards owing to the
obscenity it exhibited."

(ii) Kautultasarvcwva Natal^ a better drama
than the above. Both are, however, transla-
tions from original Sanskrit pieces. The
Asiatic Journal of Sept. 1822 might have
referred to dramas of this nature.

1932, which runs as follows : "Schuylar's Bibliography of
the Sanskrit Drama and the British Museum Literary Cata-
logue of Bengali Books (1883) mentions a Bengali paraphrase
of Krsna Misra's famous drama Prabodhacandrodaya
published in 1822.

12

Rev. Long has mentioned Kautukasarvasva
Natak as a drama by R. Chandra Tarkalankar
of Harinavi.

Zenker described it "Drama in Bengali per
R. Chundra Tarkalankar de Harinavi." Both Long
and Zenker put the date as 1830- Blimhardt in
his catalogue of Bengali books in the British
Museum Library (1866) speaks of the Kautuka-
sarvasva Naiak, by Gopinath Chakrabarty as
Kali-Vatsarajar Upakliyan based on the story
of Kali-Vatsa-raja, a Sanskrit play with intervening-
portions appearing in a Bengali version in prose
and verse by Ram Chundra Tarkalankar in 1828-
The Samacaracandrika of May 1831 referred to
this drama as well as Prabodhacandrodaya NaJ,ak
as ready for sale in the office with price of Re. 1 .
Pandit Gopinath, author of the original, composed
this drama for performance in the house of some
wealthy citizen. It is a two-act play opening with
an invocation to Ganesa in tripadi verse. IT. H.
Wilson in his Theatre of the Hindus wrote of the
Sanskrit original as "a satire upon princes who addict
themselves to idleness and sensuality and do not
patronise the Brahmins." The language of the
translation is commonplace and is often a mixture
of the highsounding and vulgar- There are many
stanzas in Payar and Tripadi verse. The trans-
lator calls his language 8adhubha$a- Some

13

people, especially the ficticious Dhananjay Mukherjee
in a Brochure entitled Vanglya.Natyasala publish-
ed by Babu Nalini Ranjan Pandit (Page 2, line 15)
has confused this drama with Vidyasundar just as
Lebedeff s Disguise has been similarly confused
in the Visvakosa*

It is believed that Shakespeare's Tempest was
translated into Bengali by a civilian about
the year 1820, but no copy of the work has been
found or described anywhere.

(9) Next, we have Vidyasundar (of Bharat
Chandra) acted at Nabin Babu's house in the year
1833-S but its importance lies in that next to
Kalirajar Yatra it was an original Bengali work
acted on the stage. It shows the hankering
of a philanthropically disposed Bengali to try any-
thing good in his mother tongue in preference to
English or Sanskrit or mixed drama.

(10) Long's catalogue of Bengali books mentions
two dramas, viz., Kalidasa's tiakuntala translated
and published by Sj. Ramtarak Bhattacherya in
18- 10* and Ratnavall, a Sanskrit drama by Harsa-
Vardhan, king of Kashmira rendered into Bengali
by Nilmani Pal.

*Vide Rahg&laya, Vol. 16 and observations of the Indian
Stage, Vol. i, page 222.

1. See Vol. i. pp. 285-294.

2. See also Samvadprabhakar, 28th June 1848.

14

(11) A Kavya called Ramanl Natak by Pancha-
nan Banerji of Shyampukur, printed in 1848. (See
below, No. 12).

(12) A drama named Kirtivilas is also men-
tioned in Long's catalogue 1 as being recently
composed, printed and published with the permis-
sion of the Vidyamvada Sabha. Rev. Long men-
tions it with the following descriptions :

Klrtivilcts or the evils of Stepmother A drama
in 5 acts by G. C- Gupta P. P. 70 B. S. Price
12 as. Subject A King's son near the

Jumuna committed suicide owing; to the

r^>

cruelties of his stepmother. The book shows
considerable talent/

(13) Long in his catalogue of Bengali books
also mentions a drama called Mahanataha i. e-,
Ramcandra's history dramatised in 1849 by
Pandit Ramgati Nyayaratna and translated into
English by Raja Kali Krishna. That this was not
possibly a Yatra piece but a drama is clear from
the fact that Mr. Long gave separate lists for Yatra's
and Nataks.

(14) Some literary men including Rai Baha-
dur Dinesh Chandra Sen put Prcm Ncdaka by Babu
Panchanan Banerjee of Shyampukur, Calcutta, as
being the first Bengali Drama. We have come
across two compositions by the same author, Prcui

i. See also Samvadprabhakar^ 2ist May, 1852.

15

Natak and Ramanl Natak but they are not dramas.
They are really epic poems (Kavyas) composed in
Tripadl and Payar metres. There are no dramatic
characters, nor any dialogues. The compositions
display bad taste with an abundance of Adirasa
(amores) as the names suggest. Ramanl Natak was
printed in 1848 and Prcma Natak in 1853.*

(14) Bhanumatlr Cittavilas : This was
nothing but Merchant of Venice rendered into
Bengali, probably about the year 1850-1852 by
Babu Hara Chandra Ghose of Babugaunge, Hooghly,
a scholar with much literary attainments. A copy of
the book is available at the Imperial Library, Calcutta.
As a translation it stands on the same footing as
Chadmabcs or Disguise. Mr. Long puts it : "Trans-
lation with adaptations, well and ably done". He,
however, gives no date. But in the Prabhakara of
Iswar Gupta (Paush 1260 = December 1853) we find
a mention of "a novel drama (Abhinava Natak) by
Babu Hara Chandra Ghose, Superintendent of
Excise, Maldah, written on the principles of English
dramas". (Imgraji Nataker Rityanusare).

It appears that this drama was probably prior
to Bhadrarjuna in-as-much as it is mentioned in

*Mr. Sarat Chandra Ghosal, M. A. B. L., Saraswati, the
erudite scholar, first drew our attention to these books,
in the n ow-defunct Bengali Monthly Nurayana, Magh O
Chaitra 1321, edited by the late Deshabandhu C. R. Das f

1C

Long's Catalogue, whereas the other is not. Some
persons always express difficulty in ascertaining
the exact date of Bhaniimatl. In the early September
of 1909 one Mr. K. B. Dutt put a query in the
Indian Daily News as to who was the first drama-
tist of Bengal. Our esteemed friend Mr. Kiran
Chandra Dutt sent a reply on the 9th September,
in the same paper telling that the author of
Bhadrarjuna was the first dramatist. A correspon-
dent signing himself as "Old man", contradicted him
on the 24th September, saying that Hara Chandra
Ghose of Hughly, who was the recipient of the
Aukland prize in golden and silver watches in
Muhammad Moshin's Hughly College in the year
1840 for a lucid translation of Bacon's Truth in
Bengali, published his Bhanumatlr Cittavilas in
1850. Then came further news on the 27th Sep-
tember from "One who knows" that the drama was
published in 1842.

There is no corroboration of the above-
dates but what Hara Chandra Ghosh himself
wrote in the preface of his next drama Kaurav-
vijay Natak will undoubtedly throw sufficient
light on the matter. He says : "In 1852 I
published my vernacular drama of the Merchant of
Venice which was written at the suggestion of an
European friend of native education." Hara Chandra
further said that the work met with much appre-

17

elation and emboldened him to write his next drama-
It was really a novel thing to see a Shakespeare's
play acted in oriental dress and with enthusiasm.
We, however, have no record of any performance. The
names are all Indian, showing how Hara Chandra
tried to remodel western stories into Bengali, at a
time when there was still in the country a bias for
Sanskrit plays.

Bhanumatl was a replica of Portia and the scene
shifted from Ujjain to Guzrat. Sulocana and Su6lla
are her attendants. There is a regular benedictory
verse, a hymn to Sarasvati, and an attempt to please
courtiers by an ode to vernal pleasures. For acts
and scenes the author uses the words ahJca and
aiiga.

(15) Bhadrarjim Natak In 1852, certainly
next to BJidmimatlr Cittavilas, was published this
much-talked-of drama under the name Bliadrarfun
Naialc* from the pen of Tar a Charan Sikdar and
containing the story how Arjun, the third Pandava
carried away Bhadra (Subhadra, the sister of

* Mamaisa bhagini Partha

Siiranasya sahodara ;
Subhadra nama bhadram te

Piturme dayitii suta.

Kalikata Caitanya-candrodayayantrc mudrita,

tiakabda, ^774.

This was on the title-page.

3

18

Krsna). We had an opportunity of going through
the book and this book alone may be called the first
and original dramatic attempt in Bengali literature
on record. In the preface Tara Charan writes that
various Sanskrit dramas had then been translated
into Bengali- We do not know whether Bhadrarjun
was ever acted.* He, however, made a new departure
in the dramatic mode, which was subsequently fol-
lowed by almost all dramatists of Bengal. He
avoided the classical convention of introducing
Prologue and Epilogue. In the Bhadrarjun, there
is neither the Sutradhara, nor Nandl, nor similar
dramatic devices that are indispensable to a Sanskrit
play, nor do we find any Vidusaka or professional
jester in the drama. Michael M- S- Dutt, the great
Bengali poet, who composed his Sarmistha seven years
later, once wrote to his friend Raj Narayan Bose
that in writing dramas he would not allow himself
to be bound by the rules of Sanskrit Rhetoric, but
would look to the great dramatists of Europe for
his models. Tara Charan Sikdar, who preceded
Michael in shaking off the fetters of the Sanskrit
model, deserves all praise for his literary courage
in rising above the formalities of a dead language,
which would have certainly impeded the varied

*Vilvamai)gal Mr. Jogindra Nath Bose mentions a
drama of this name in his Biography of Madlmsndan, but so
far we have not been able to trace the work in print or in
reference.

19

growth of the Bengali drama. It must not be for-
gotten that the first Bengali dramatist, who introduced
the innovation, was Babu Tara Charan Sikdar and not
Michael Madhu Sudan Dutt, though the latter, by the
wealth of his imagination and vigour of style, has
completely cast the pigmy reformer into oblivion
and might not have known about his predecessor or
his drama at all. Tara Charan writes in the
preface :

"The book has been written in a quite new style.
Hence we think it necessary to give some idea
of it in brief. In its dramatic action and situa-
tions this drama is after European model but
there is no departure from the old style of
composition in prose and poetry. I have done
away with certain characters of the Sanskrit
drama e.g., Nancfo, Sutradhara and NaH on the
stage by way of prelude, nor have I inserted
the character of Vidusaka. For Scene the
word "saiiiyogasthaP' has been used.

There was another great innovation in Sikdar's
drama. The speeches were written in prose, but
rhyming doggrels, both short and long, were now and
again put into the mouths of the actors.

The preface again is greatly valuable from the
point of history. We get therein some idea of the
nature of dramatic appreciation then existing among
the Bengalees. The preface says that in those days
Bengali actors expressed their thoughts in songs and

20

jesters excited the audience to laughter on unneces-
sary occasions. The author has purposely avoided
age-long vagaries and deserves all praise due to a
pioneer.

Subhadra was a favourite theme with the poets
of the time. Michael Madhusudan Dutt wrote
an unfinished drama of the name. Nabin Chandra's
conception of Subhadra in JRaivatak and Kuruksetra
was full of grandeur and Bankim Chandra, too, was
obsessed with her ideal in Visavrksa. So the topic
was a popular one, but there was no action in the
drama and though Bhima's anger, Baladeva's pride
and Narada's quarrelsome spirit were shown,
Draupadl was given a minor place and no indivi-
duality was traceable in Satyabhama or Rukminl.
Conversations, though vulgar, were, however, true to
domestic life.

The composition, however, is commonplace and
does not rise above the ordinary. Some people have
spent much pen and ink over a remark of Mr.
Jogindra Nath Bose and holds that the latter had
no right to call it "of indecent taste". Mr. Bose
nowhere calls the play obscene. What he says
is that though Bhadrarjun is worth mentioning, the
language is Jcadarya i. e., bad.

To come to our list, Rev. Long mentions a few
other dramas of this period :

21

(16) Caitanyacandrodaya NataJc, or Caita-
nya's history dramatised Translated by Prem
Das B. A., in 1853, Re. 1-8 as, throws much
light on the doctrines and life of Caitanya, who
flourished four centuries ago.

(17) We have, however, in our possession, a work
Bodhenduvikas Natak* which may be considered
a drama. This was from the pen of no other person
than the most popular writer of the time, the poet
Iswar Chandra Gupta whose illustrious pupils were
the great Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and dramatist
Dinavandhu Mitra. It was published in Prabhakara
in 1260 B. S. (corresponding to 1853 A. D.) and
though written on the Sanskrit model, we have both
dialogue and songs in it. It is an imitation of the
Sanskrit play called Prabodhacandrodaya Natak
and the characters are Madan? Rati, Vivek &c.
"The drama was completed" says the great Bankim
"and after his death in 1265 B. S., his brother
Ramchandra brought out in 1859 the first part from
the portion with price of Re. 1-8 as, that had been
published in Prabhakara" The rest has not up to
day seen the light of the day. The drama contained
many scenes, and the dialogues are not interesting,
though some of the songs were excellent.

* A copy of the above may be found in the Sahitya
Parishad Library.

22

We have it on the authority of the dramatist
Manomohan Bose that rehearsals of JBodhcnduvikas
continued with great eclat, large sums of money were
spent for it, but "no good came out of it except the
recounting of songs of Hari (Visnu)".* Kehearsals
were in progress, as a correspondent of the Hurkara
says really "Prabodhacandrodaya will be acted at a
private theatre in a gentleman's house at Calcutta.
[t is a clever drama, but it is utterly unfit for the
stage. A number of metaphysical dialogues can hardly
interest the majority of those who seek amusement
From those representations. 55 t

The idea of staging was, however, given up
is the enlightened section did not approve of it

From an advertisement of Prabodhacandrodaya
in the Samacaracandrika of 1831, some maintain
that this must be Iswar Gupta 5 s translation of the
Sanskrit drama of the same name. It is probably
not true. As we have already noticed Iswar Gupta 5 s
imitation of the Prabodhacandrodaya was called
Bodhenduvikojs, and Bodhcnduviltm would have
been published long ago in Gupta's Samvadprabha-
fcara (which was started in 1830) if it was an earlier

*Vide, the Bengali Journal Madhyastha edited by him
Paus 1280 B.S.) which is preserved in the Sahitya Parishad
Library, Calcutta.

\ Hurkara, 2ist May, 1857 and Hindu Patriot, 28th
May, 1857.

23

translation, and would not have been simply adver-
tised in the Candrika. Further, we have no evidence
to show that Iswar Gupta was the author of this
advertised Bengali drama. As we have seen, the
Bodhenduvikas was published in 1853 in his
paper during the poet's life-time.

The one referred to in 1831 was probably
Atmatattvakaumudl translation of Prabodha-
candrodaya Natalc, as we mentioned in page 10.

(18) Another drama Kali by the same author
Iswar Chandra Gupta is also a similarly unfinished
work.

(19) The Pralhakar of 20th November, 1855
and 14th December, 1855 notices two dramas
Vidhavorudwaha Natalc (' widow-marriage drama')*
and 'Babu Natak\ published by "the late Babu
Kaliprasanna Sinha, Secretary and Priyanath Bose,
Assistant Secretary of the Vidyotsahini Sabha."
The former was priced at Re. 1 and the latter at
eight annas. The Babu had been first published
about two years previous to the first, and in absence
of any copy we are not definite whether it was a
drama or a piece like Babu Amrita Lai Bose's farce

of this name.

* It will be worthy of note here, that Pandit Iswar
Chandra Vidyasagore's first work on widow marriage was
published in 1854, an ^ this must have influenced the
Vidhava-tidvaha Natak and similar other works.

24

Last but not the least, we come to most impor-
tant drama of the chapter.

(50) KullnakulasaTvasva by Pandit Ram
Narayan Tarkaratna of Harinabhi,
24-Parganas.

It was not a translation but the first serious
attempt at drama, and it has been highly spoken of
by contemporary journalists and men of culture. The
circumstances under which the drama was composed
are interesting. Babu Kalicharan Chaturdhurin, a
Zeminder of Rangpur, North Bengal, announced in
1853 (i) in the BhasJcar, edited by Gauri Sankar
Bhattacherjee (popularly known as "Gurgude Bhatta-
cherjee", on account of his short dwarfish stature),
and (ii) in the Rahgpur-vartavaha (in first non-
official organ) that a prize of Rs. 50/- would be
given to the author of the best drama on the evils of
Kulinism introduced in the country by Vallal Sen.
It was at this time that the educated people were
awakened to the social abuses eating into the vitals
of the Hindu society, and Kulinism was one such
evil. One man and very often an old man took to
fifty, sixty and hundred wives, and not unoften a
number of brides of ages varying from ten to
sixty were married at the same Lagna (auspicious
moment for the marriage), the Kulln husband
accepting a dowry in each case and not returning to
these wives a second time. Ram Narayan Tarkaratna

25

(afterwards popularly known as Naiulce Ram Naran\
who wrote the drama Kullnkulasarvasva, won
the prize. It aimed at eradicating the social and
moral evils that had crept into the Hindu society
from the scandalous practice of kulinism, which set
up a quite arbitrary barrier between different classes
of Brahmins.

Through the kind permission of his patron, Babu
Kali Charan, Ram Naran had the book published in
1854, a review of which from the Bhaslcar of the
23rd December of that year (corresponding to 9th
Paush, 1261 B. S.), we give below (in English transla-
tion) :

"We have received a copy of the new drama Kulm-
kulasarvasva by Pandit Ram Narain Tarka-
ratna, senior professor, Hindu Metropolitan
College. About the subject of the book, mention
was made before in Bhaskar and our readers
might remember that Tarkaratna got prize of Rs.
50/- by composition of this book, from the gener-
ous land-holder Srila Srijut Kali Charan Roy
Choudhury and the latter appreciating the
Pandit's merit presented the book back to him
and got the book printed. We have gone
through the whole book and been much pleased
with it.

"The drama has been well-written, specially the parts
of the clever Rashika and Fulkumari have been
excellent. The conversations of Brahmin lady
with her daughters which are quite natural,
prove masterly craft of the writer. The

4

26

episode of Dharmashil has been supported by
various legends of the Puranas. In short, the
book is an excellent one. A beautiful drama in
Bengali like the present one will remove many
evil practices from the society."

Rajah Iswar Chandra Singh also wrote to Keshav
Gangulee : "Ramnarain's K. K. 8. has acquired a
just and well-merited fame."*

As Disguise of 1795 was a translation, Ralirajar
Yatra (182L) a farcical piece, and Vidyasundar
of 1833 not a drama but a metrical composition,
properly speaking Kullnkulasamasva was the first
real Bengali Drama that was put on board the
stage, in 1856 or earlier. The time too was very
opportune for staging the play. Our readers should
remember that only two years ago or so, the Oriental
Theatre which had given performances in English
and had just given up staging English dramas, (Vide,
my Indian Stage 1st Vol., page 304, and Iswar
Chandra Singh's reminiscences, p. 221 ) had almost
become defunct owing to the want of Bengali plays
for which they had a bias. The appearance of Kulln-
kulasarvasva, therefore, at a time when the absence
of Bengali drama was keenly felt, was very much
welcomed by the young enthusiasts.

Kulmkulasawasva marks, therefore, the epoch
and it was succeeded by a number of perform-

*(Michael's Biography by Jogindranath Bose, p. 220).

27

ances in Bengali in quick succession. Our friend,
Mr. Brajendra Nath Banerjee strikes, however, a
different note about the date of performance of this
epoch-making and sensational drama- As we have
already noted, Brajendra Babu's research is rather
misleading and not unoften have we found him
taking delight in his new 'discoveries', although based
upon suppositions, their value must be taken at a
discount.

Now the acknowledged and authoritative date of
the first performance of SaJcuntala at Ashutosh
Dev's house of which we shall speak later on, is on
the 30th January 1857, and KuUnkulasarvasva
(K. K- S.) must have been therefore staged before
that. But Mr. B. N. Banerjee quoting wrongly a
stray passage from the reminiscences of late Babu
Gaurdas Bysak about his friend Michael Madhu-
sudan Dutt, wherein is mentioned the date of the first
performance of Kulmhilasarvasva as being March
1857 by mistake, jumps to the conclusion that
Sakuntala was staged first and Kullnkulasarvasva
followed it.*

The reminiscences in the third edition of the book,
which have been taken principally as Mr. Banerjee 1 s
authority, run as follows :

* Vahg 7 \ya-Naiyamlar Itihas, p. 41, by Brajendra Nath

Bandyopadhyaya.
Modern Review, p. 524, Nov. 1931. Early history

of Bengali Theatre by B. N. Banerjee,

28

"The credit of organising the first Bengali Theatre
belongs to the late Babu Joyram Bysak of
Churrokdanga Street, Calcutta, who formed and
drilled a Bengali dramatic corps and set up a
stage in his house on which was performed in
March 1857, the sensational Bengali play of
Kulmkulasarvasva by Pandit Ramnarayana.

The success and popularity that attended this first
experiment led the late Babu Gopal Das Sett
to form a similar corps and set up a stage in
his house in Ratan Sircar's Garden Street, on
which the same play was repeated, before an
enthusiastic audience. As naturally expected
Vidyasagore and Babu Kali Prasanna Sinha
encouraged the actors in Babu Gadadhar
Sett's house, by their presence and personal
interest/'

*'The late Babu Kali Prasanna Sinha evidently
drew his inspiration of a native theatre from
these performances v

"Then the grandsons of the late Babu Ashutosh
Deb gave some dramatic performances in their
house "

The above reminiscences,* however, give late
Babu Joyram Bysak, in whose house K. K. S. was
staged, the credit of organising the first Bengali
Theatre and put tiakuntcda subsequent to it in point
of time. The quotation, therefore, is not of much

* Michael M. S. Dutt's Biography by Jogindra Nath
Bose, Page 648, Third Edition.

29

help to him even with regard to dates and a re-
search scholar should have weighed facts before
exploding the hitherto recognised theory or version.
At the same time the short history given by Babu
Gourdas Bysak, the most intimate friend of Madhu-
sudan and one who was very closely associated with
Bengali Theatre since 1857, is entitled to the great-
est weight. One would therefore like to go deep
into the origin or the source.

Now, the actual wording of the reminiscences
that were put in the form of a letter written to the
biographer of the poet by Gourdas Babu on May
1892 from 3. Bysak's Lane, Calcutta, gives the lie
direct to any wild theory. They run as follows :

"Next in 1853-54 some of the ox-students of the
Oriental Seminary, who formed a Dramatic
Corps under the drilling of Messrs Clinger and
Roberts, who belonged to the Kans Sotiri Theatre
and opened a stage, called the "Oriental
Theatre" in the premises of the Seminary,
where they acted the plays of Othello and
Merchant of Venice, etc. It was Babu (since
Maharaja) Jatindra Mohon Tagore, who first of
all suggested to them that they should introduce
native dramatic representations arid organise a
native Orchestra on the basis of our native
instruments. Acting upon this hint they
produced the sensational play of Kulinkula-
sarvasva and the theatre abruptly became
dc funt in 1856.

30

This novel amusement received a temporary en-
couragement from the late Kali Prasanna Sinha
and the grandsons of the late Babu Ashutosh
Dev, who set up a stage in their respective
mansions on which were given some perform-
ances in our national style.

The date and the order given in the above letter
about K. K. 8. and Sakuntala in Ashutosh Dev's
house, which was incorporated verbatim in the first
edition of the book,* leave no room for doubt
that K. K. S. was the first drama staged in 1856,
and Sakuntala followed it (i. e., in Jan. 1857).
As the above letter is authentic we find it verbally
copied in the second edition also.f

How could this passage be altered in the third
edition in 1905 from the year 1856 to March 1857,
when Babu Gourdas was no more in the land of
living and the biographer Jogin Babu also did not
offer any explanation of this change, one wonders.
A letter can not change by the efflux of time.
To us it appears that the change was made by the
author or somebody who revised the third edition
in the light of the history given by Jogin Babu in
the body of the book. But here, too, he definitely
states that K. K. S. was the first genuine Bengali
attempt. (Vide, page 213 of the biography).

* Michael's Biography Parikisia by Jogindra Nath Bose,

Pages 5-6 ist edition, 1893.
t Par&i&la (Page, 5 & 6) published in the year (1895).

31

The other proofs sought by Mr. Banerjee are
also of no value. Since the performance began in
1856, it was repeated in Calcutta and other places
too. The mention of one of the performances
being in March 1857, does not make it subsequent to
Sakuntala* Besides, the play was acted four times
in the house of Jagat-durlabh Bysak alone.~f As the
play was popular, it was acted even after Sakuntala.
Babu Kaliprasanna Sinha, too, was making arrange-
ments for its performance after the representation of
jSakuntala at Ashutosh Dev's house. J

Now, to give an account of the performance of
the first genuine Bengali attempt, the stage was im-
provised in Bysak House at Churrokdanga (now
Tagore Castle Road). It was constructed in the
courtyard of the house under the supervision of Babu
Rajendra Nath Banerjee the Burra Babu, or the
Head Clerk, of the East Indian Railway Company,
with the assistance of Babu Jagat Duiiabh Bysak.

Joyram Bysak, Jagat Durlabh Bysak, Narain
Chandra Bysak, Rajendra Nath Banerjee, Mahendra
Nath Mukherjee, Radha Prasad Bysak and Behari
Lai Chatter jee (afterwards the manager of "Bengal
Theatre") were the artists and of them Behari Lai

* Vide, Hindu Patriot, March 19, 1857.

t Mahendra Nath Mukerjee's reminiscences. Puratan

Prasaiiga (Prathama Paryyaya), pp. 148, 149.
I Sainvad-Prabhakara, March 10, 1857.

32

was the first, who appeared as an actor on the public
stage. All these persons were the former actors of
the Oriental Theatre and it was about them, Babu
Gaurdas Bysak must have made references in his
above letter.

Next, about the performances at Sett's house,* we
find reference to one of the performances in the
Samvad-Prabhakara of 22nd March, 1858. It also
appears that the Hindu Patriot of the 18th April
1858 devoted a few lines commenting upon perform-
ance in general- The latter was a disparaging criti-
cism wherein it was averred "that the less said about
the performances the better, but there were one
or two persons whose talents as mimics may develop
in the fullness of time."

A rejoinder was immediately sent to the press

from the members of the Vernacular Theatre as it

vas called and it was asserted there that men like

ibu Kisori Chand Mitter, Peari Chand Mitter,

* About the performance we get some idea from the
reminiscences of Mahendra Mukherjee.

Rajendra Vavu o Jagaddurlabh Vavu divya bhundi laiya
mathay Jamba tiki vilambita kariya Brahmana
pandit sajiyachilen. Rajendra Vavur haste eka{;i
amuker nasyadhar. Tanhara duijane yakhan
tarka vitarka kariten, takhan 6rotrvrnda hasiya e
uhar gaye padita, o uhar gaye padita, EkatI sakher
dala vajaita. Ami kulacaryya sajitam.

Puratan Prasanga.

33

Kshetra Chandra Ghose, Dr. Rajendra Lai Mitter
and Nagendra Nath Tagore were all present at
the performance and throughout the play they
accorded to the actors their heart-felt and sincere
approbation.

The Samvad-Pralhakar also highly spoke about
the performance that was attended by 600 or 700
persons. Radha Prasad Bysak admirably represent-
ed the character for Ghatak and Sripati Mukherjee,
Head Master of Janai School, appeared in the role
of Dharamshila. The Prabhakara also bore testi-
mony to the presence of Vidyasagore Mahasaya at
the performance and in this point corroborates the
statement of Babu Gaurdas Bysak.

Gopal Sett himself, the son of Babu Gadadhar
Sett, in whose house the play was staged, Priyanath
Dutt, Gadadhar's grandson, Nakur Chandra Sett and
Narayan Chandra Bysak, who played in Bysak's
house, were in their respective roles here as well.
Narayan appeared in the role of Jahnabi and in
that of Rasika Naptini.

"The unprecedented sensation into which the
whole native community was thrown", says Babu
Gaurdas Bysak ''after the celebration of the first
widow marriage under the segis of that redoubtable
apostle of social reform, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagare,
accounted for the interest and excitement which these
performances of a play representing a social reform,

5

34

created at the time." Indeed, the KulinJculasarvasva
was performed in the teeth of great opposition from
a section of the Hindu community and that its
influence was great upon the society, cannot be gain-
said. From the following extract of the Hindu
Patriot, dated the 15th July 1858, it will be seen
how the Kulins of the Hooghly District were against
its performance :

"The acting of the Kulmhdasarvasva Natak at
Chinsurah has, it appears, given great offence to the
Kulins of the locality. The Natak is an ill-executed
burlesque. The acting took place in the house of a
gentleman of the Baniya caste and Kulln Brahmins
intended, it is said, to retaliate in kind."

"The gentleman referred to," was probably Babu
Narottam Pal.* Rupchand Pakshee, a noted musi-
cian of that time, composed songs for the occasion
and sang them.f

From the very beginning, the Kulins of Bengal
were opposed to its performance J and the Hindu
Patriot does not seem to have been much in favour
of the play.

But all those, who had the courage to stage the
drama, deserve our respectful thanks for their noble

* Sainvad-Prabhakara ^rd July, 1858).

t Akshay Sarkar's reminiscences, Father & Son.

t Calcutta Review 1873, page 275.

35

innovation, which inspired others for Bengali plays at
a time when the educated Bengalees and the students
showed their decided preference and love for English
dramas, and the College students acted only the
English plays.

Kullnkulasawasva was thus a great innovation
both as a drama and as an acting piece on the stage,
and we repeat the words of Rajah Is war Chandra
that 'it acquired a just and well-merited fame/

Next, we must mention about the drama Svarna-
srnkhal Natak, which was staged at Barisal. One
would not even wonder if he hears that this might
have been staged even before Kulmkulasarvasva.
The book was printed at Dacca in 1863 and in the
apologium was mentioned the following :

"About eight years ago, (that is in 1855-56) this
drama was written at Barisal for its representation
there."

We have, however, no further reference of this
drama or its representation, but it seems that theatre
was making its appearance even in Muffiisil.

Chapter II

BENGALI DRAMAS IN THE MUTINY YEAR

1. At Chhatu Babu's House.

After Kullnkulasarvasva, the next attempt was
made in the house of Babu Ashutosh Dev, the
millionaire of Calcutta, popularly known as Chhatu
Babu by his grandsons, who called themselves as
members of Jnanapradayin'i Sabha* The drama
was not an original one, but a translation of Kalidasa's
Sakuntala into Bengali by Nanda Lai Roy, 1 but all
the same it was a genuine Bengali play. Although
opinion was divided 2 as to its success, the attempt,
however, was really very praiseworthy.

We have accounts of the performances of
Sakuntala in the above house, one on the 30th
January 3 and another on the 22nd February 1857. 4
The stage wore a beautiful appearance and it was of
the nature of a private theatrical, making an accom-

1 Samvad-Przbhakar, I5th June 1857.

2 Hindu Patriot, 5th Feb. 1857.
8 Hindu Patriot, 5th Feb, 1857.
* Prabhakar, 26th Feb. 1857.

37

modation of about 400 persons. Mr. O. C. Dutt
(grandson-in-law of Chhatu Babu) composed songs
and was the stage-manager.

Babu Priyamadhav Basu Mullick appeared in the
role of Dusmanta, Annada Mukherjee of Durvasa,
Mahendra Nath Mukherjee 1 of Kanva's disciple,
Abinash Chandra Ghosh of Anasuya and Bhuvan
Ghosh of Priyamvada and last and not the least
Babu Sarat Chandra Ghosh (a grand-son of Chhatu
Babu, a born actor and afterwards founder of the
well-known Bengal Theatre) was in the role of
Sakuntala. Sarat Babu looked really grand and
queenly in his gestures and address and did great
justice to the part of the heroine he was enacting,
The other amateurs also succeeded in creating an
effect. 2

This was the view of the contemporaneous
paper, the Hindu Patriot.

It, however, held that full measure of success
could not be realised and the corps dramatique
required more polishing. Babu Kisori Chand Mitter,
the great social reformer and a veteran journalist,
went, however, a step further and considered the
performance of Sakuntala at Simla a failure. In
his opinion Salcuntala being a masterpiece of drama-

1

Vide, his reminiscences in Puratan Prasahga.
Hindu Patriot, 5th Feb. 1857.

38

tic genius, required versatile and consummate talent
rarely to be met with in this country. 1

We hear of another performance at Janai
(Hooghly) in the house of Babu Purna Chandra
Mukherjee in May 1858. The gathering there was
large and the stage and hall were nicely decorated
and illuminated. The parts of Dusmanta and
Bakuntala were ably performed and other parts
well sustained. It was after all a ''village theatre"
with all defects for the first amateurs.

[ Hindu Patriot, June 10, 1858.]

We hear of another play Mahasveta, a Bengali
rendering of the famous Sanskrit novel Kadambarl*
Its author Mani Mohan Sarkar subsequently won
reputation for the composition of a Yatra piece, called
Usa and Aniruddha, which, as we shall see here-
after, was the first Yatra performance enacted by the
master of dramatists Girish Chandra Ghosh. Maha-
sveta was first performed in Bhadra (September)
1857 3 at the house of Babu Charu Chandra Ghosh
and the cast was as follows :

Raja ... Annada Prasad Mukherjee.

Pundarika (Nata) ... Mahendra Nath Mazumdar.

Kapifijala ... Mani Mohan Sarkar (author).

Kancuki ... Shiv Chand Sinha.

1 Calcutta Review 1873, page 282, Modern Dramas.

2 Samvad-Prabhakar Sept. 16, 1857.

3 The book itself gives this cast.

39

Maha^veta (Nati) ... Kshetra Mohan Sinha.

Kadambari ... Mahendra Nath Ghosh.

Taralika ... Sarat Chandra Ghosh.

Ram ... Bhuban Mohan Ghosh.

Chatradharini ... Mahendra Nath Mukherjee.

The Drama was published in Kartik, 1266.

II. Vidyotsahini Theatre.

We now come to the Bengali Theatre in the
house of late Kali Prasanna Sinha, who, though then
a young man of 15 or 16 in the year 1857, took a
leading part in the social, political and intellectual
life of Bengali Hindus and founded a literary asso-
ciation, named Vidyotsahini Sabha in his house in
the year 1855. 1 This literary association, under
the direct and close supervision of Kaliprasanna,
did much in the resuscitation of the Hindu drama
and Hindu Theatre by writing and staging Bengali
plays after the style of Sanskrit dramas instead of
attempting foreign pieces unsuited to the national
taste. In the year 1857, Kaliprasanna started a
Theatre, called the Vidyotsahini Theatre after the
set of the Sabha following in the wake of the
Setts and Bysaks and after the model of Babu Sarat
Chandra Ghose (Sakuntala).

1 Mr. Manmatha Nath Ghose M. A., in his Memoirs of
Kaliprasanna Sinha, has given this date and we, on
a reference to all papers, consider it to be authentic,

40

Babu Gurudas Bysak, in his reminiscences,
writes :

'The late Babu Kaliprasanna Sinha evidently
drew his inspiration of native theatre from these
performances? for it was that time that he set up a
stage in his mansion on which were produced
in a superb native style and before a large and
influential audience composed of the elite of the
European and native society, Bengali renderings of
the Sanskrit plays of Vemsamhara, Malatlmadhava
and Vikramorvdsl. The first play, staged in this
Theatre, was Semsamhara. rendered from the well-
known Sanskrit drama of Bhatta Nyrana by Ram
Narain Tarkaratna. 1 It was put on the stage on
Saturday, the llth April 1857 before a number of
audience, as we get from a correspondent of Hindu
Patriot (April 16, 1857) :

"Last Saturday 8 , the 9th instant another Hindoo
Theatre was inaugurated under the title of Vidyot-
sahini Theatre. Several gentlemen, native and
European, were present and the Vemsamhar Natak
was acted with considerable applause. The dialogues
were mostly in Payurs (couplets) and Tripacbis
(triplets) instead of dramatic verses. But songs were
wanting. The performance on the whole was very

1 Some wrongly held Kali Prasanna himself to be the

author. ( Vide, Preface of the book. )
* nth and not the gth was the Saturday.

41

creditable to the Young Hindu Amateurs to whose
zeal and spirit the theatre owes its existence. As to
how the performance was successful we would better
quote the remarks of Mr. Ghose from his Memoirs
of Kaliprasanna, page 28 :

"The performance was highly successful 1 and
elicited unanimous praises from the European and
native gentlemen of rank and station, who attended
theatre. We have heard from reliable sources that
Kali Prasanna, who represented the part of Princess
Bhanumati played it to perfection and was welcomed
with roars of applause, when he appeared before
the admiring gaze of the audience as a beautiful
girl dressed in a rich, gold embroidered Benares sadl
and decked with priceless jewels, which belonged to
his family and excited the envy of the richest
men in Calcutta."

Kali Prasanna Sinha, then a young boy of
sixteen, was the observed of all observers. Adorned
with ornaments and jewels, he appeared in the
character of Bhanumati. The jewellaries he put on
would be worth more than a lac of rupees. Fort
Williams Band played the Orchestra and Sir Cecil
Beadon with a number of European gentlemen
was present and encouraged the undertaking by
his warm appreciation. As the above play was not
quite suitable for the Bengali stage, its diction being

1 Preface of Vikramorvasl.

c

42

too heavy and as there was no drama besides Kulln-
kulasawasva and the Sakuntala> Kali Prasanna
took upon himself the task of writing a suitable
play :

Vikramorvasl a free translation of Kalidasa's
drama of the name was written and published in
September, 1857 and staged at the Vidyotsahini
Theatre with great eclat and the remarks of the
Hindu Patriot would give a faithful account of its
performance. 1

There was no Sutradhara like the old Sanskrit
drama and music consisted of both by amateurs and
the Town Band. Kali Prasanna himself took the
part of Pururavah and performed it with consummate
histrionic skill- The late Mr. W. C. Banerjee (then
a boy of thirteen) and other distinguished men re-
presented other parts. Not to speak of the Hindu
Patriot of the time, Mr. Kishori Chand Mitter also
in his posthumus article on Modern Hindu Drama,
failed not to notice the performance in the following
words :

"There was a large gathering of native and
European gentlemen, who were unanimous in prais-
ing the performance. Amongst the latter, Mr.
Beadon, afterwards Sir Cecil Beadon, the then
Secretary to the Government of India, expressed

1 ffindu Patriot, Dec. 3, 1857,

43

to us his unfeigned pleasure at the admirable way
in which the principal characters sustained their
parts."

Calcutta Review, 1873, p. 253.

We now quote extracts from the Hindu Patriot,
December 3, 1857 :

The Vidyotsahini THeatre

Our readers will remember that about six weeks
ago, we reviewed in these columns Baboo Kali
Prasanna Sinha's translation of Vikramorvasi
of Kalidasa. In the present issue, we have to
notice the performance of that drama got up
under the auspices of the same Baboo in his
own mansion. The native gentry of Calcutta
and suburbs representing the intelligence, taste,
good sense, fashion and respectability of Hindu
society, were all present in gorgeous winter
garments but the audience was too large for
the place and we hear with regret that many
members of the Chowringhee aristocracy were
obliged to run counter on account of the
alarming density of the collection. Whatever
the public may complain of with respect
to the unrestricted distribution of tickets
of admission, we must do justice to Baboo
Kali Prasanna Sinha to whose liberal mind and
general munificence, Calcutta owes a most
significant institution for rational amusement.
The Vidyotsahini Theatre is in the second
year of its existence and though it is a private
property, the intelligent and respectable public

44

may as freely enjoy its benefit as they do partake
of the common air we live in. The eclat
with which the Vikramorvasi was performed
on the last occasion was great. The stage was
beautifully decorated and the theatre room was
as nobly adorned as cultivated taste could
dictate or enlightened fashion could lead to. No
delicate consideration of economy was ever
thought of, and the result was most magnificent
and gratifying. The marble painting on the
frontis piece of the stage was as neat as elegant,
and the stone pictures of Bharata and Kalidasa,
though mostly imaginary, were executed with
so much nicety and taste that one was
involuntarily reminded of the classic days of
Grecian Sculpture and painting casting into
form Gods and Goddesses of heavenly birth.
The reception was very courteous and gracious
which was conducted by our excellent towns,
man, Babu Huro Chunder Ghose. But we
cannot afford space for details though the
narration of which in the present instance is
pleasant. We shall at once notice the perform-
ance leaving aside all unnecessary preliminaries
and the grateful reminiscences of older drama.

The peculiar characteristic of our theatrical is the
absence of dramatic opening which belongs
to the romantic school of the modern drama.
We have the old Grecian way of opening the
play by the appearance of the Manager
of the stage, who explains to the audience
the nature and character arid in some instances
the incidents of the performances. But accom-

45

paniment of music and songs relieves that
dull delay and patience-tresspassing colon, which
like a forced march, is always tiresome, for
we must bear in mind that the spectator
has ever the incidents of the story vividly
stamped on his mental vision and does not
wait to be helped in the margin.

In B. S. Theatre the music was excellent, both when
the amateurs performed and when the Town
Band played. They awakened in the souls
of the feeling portion of the audience, who had
any sympathy for sounds the most pleasant
emotions and kept the chord in a remarkably
beautiful harmony. Of the performance nothing
can be exaggeratedly stated. The part of the
king Purarovah represented by Babu Kali
Prasanna Sinha was admirably done. His
mien was right royal and his voice truly
imperial. From the first scene of the play
when he with his pleasant companion, a
civilized buffoon commenced to interchange
words of fellowship, to the last scene when he
was translated with his fair Urva^I to heaven,
he kept the audience continuously alive and
made a most gladsome impression on their
minds. Every word he gave utterance to,
was suited to the action which followed it. In
the language of the poet he did truly hold
the mirror up to nature* Whose heart did not
palpitate with the most quick emotions when
the king hearing the nymphs cry for help
announced his approach in the most heroic
strain and went to their relief ? The act was as

40

chivalrous as it was heroic. There was the
romance of real life represented in true colours.
But how sweetly docs the language of love
convey its moaning to a lover's mind. Urva6i
is rescued from the infernal clutches of the
demon. She thanks in a soft but most eloquent
language her gallant saviour ; Citralekha, her
lady of honour mingles in the song of thanks-
giving, while the king hears in the dulcet air
the most passionate voice of love.

The scene lay in the Hemcott range and the roman-
tic objects that allured observations from
around, with the angelic charm of Urva&i and
the glorious graces of her lovely companion,
threw the mind of the King into a kind of
magical enchantment and his vision henceforth
became the heavenly fair. Then comes the
scene of the descending of the Heavenly Car
with Urva^i and Citralekha on, singing in a
most rapturous strain and lapping the gazing
soul literally, as it were, in Klysian bliss. If
there could be angel visits on earth which poets
sing of, the appearance of LTrva^i with her
ethereal companion in the heavenly car was
such a visit. It struck the heart of every one
of the spectators. It almost realised the scrip-
tural vision of Klija's ascension to Heaven-
We have seen pictures of Grecian Gods driv-
ing chariots and read of ancient heroes skim-
ming the air through such cars, but all the
glowing figures of imagination which we have
formed melted away as the mists disappeared
and the heavenly car from Indra's region neared

47

our common earth- The attitude of Urva6i on
the car was delightfully picturesque, and the
sweet songs and muruc which attended the des-
cent, gave it the glow of an Arabian Night's
dream- But the enchantment was not yet
complete. She came and vanished like a vision.
The king was restless, and in the madness of
love appealed with child-like simplicity to the
counsel of Vidiisaka, the buffoon who like
Lear's fool mocked his sorrow but never leav-
ing his moralizing occupation.

The disconsolate Devee, wife to the king, worships
the gods to cure her husband's misdirected
love but subsequently moved by the frantic
state of the Raja disavows her worship, recalls
prayer and seconds his wish to propitiate the
deities to gratify his desire. This is the true
picture of Hindu Lady, who at the sacrifice of
her own happiness would even submit to
austerities and observances for the fulfilment of
her lord's wishes. Next opens the affecting part
of the play. The commencement is solemn and
the circumstance serious. The electric light
opens upon the air and the artillery of heaven
roars tremendously ; in the midst of this scene
the King enters singly and in a state of excite-
ment, cries for Urva&i in a most lamentable
strain, turns his mind inward, discourses with
his own soul, rings the bells of his passion and
addresses the woods and trees, the birds and
skies, in a most pathetic tone. This part of
action was most difficult, and our friend Kali-
prasanna did it well. There on addressing

48

the mountain now the woods behind, now
the river beneath and now the birds above,
with the essential pauses of affection, when
the heart is rent by the agony of love,
like Milton's Adam at the loss of Eve the
soliloquizing in the most pathetic manner and
calling forth the most tender emotion from
the deep wells of passion a la Hamlet the re-
peated falls which the king met with from the
negative replies which he construed in that
frantic mood from the significant sounds that
dropped all these were quite natural and most
admirably put into action. However we would
not give anything for the Urva^i for whom
the king had spent so much breath. We doubt
whether our countrymen would content them-
selves with presenting to the world such an
Urva^i, whom poetry represents as the paragon
of beauty, as was represented at the B. S. T.
But we do not disparage her. She will make
a different being that is more acceptable, if
she continue on earth, for love-making in
heaven is quite another affair, and is not suited
to the taste of us mortals. "Bedoosok" was
ably performed, but his jokes were lost partly
on account of the noise, and partly on account
of the unintelligibility of the language. The
Cowar was just like Home's Young Norval,
and the caressing address of UrvaSi, set in
tune, was most magnificently done- Other
characters were indifferently good, but the voice,
which spoke from behind the scene, was really
abominable.

49

While we thus do justice to Babu Kali Prasanna
Sinha, we must, however, be allowed to express
one patriotic wish. With all its excellencies
the Vidyotsahini Theatre is a private establish-
ment, though its very existence is a sign
of the times. The attempt to cultivate the
drama is justly praiseworthy, but what we
would like to have is a public institution of
the kind of a permanent character. The age
is much too advanced to wait for an elaborate
dissertation on the usefulness of such au ins-
titution in order to get it established. There
are many among us, we know, with good sense
and sufficiency enough to come forward and
aid such a project and at the head of that band
we unhesitatingly put down the name of Babu
Kali Prasanna Sinha. Let the lovers and
patrons of the drama form themselves into a
body, take the project into their consideration
and they are assured of every encouragement
and co-operation from the Hindu Patriot*

The above remarks would show the part the
press was playing in the resuscitation of Hindu
drama, a thing quite worthy of it.

In 1858 Kali Prasanna wrote and published
another drama of the name of Savitfl-Satyavan.
To all intents and purposes it was an original drama,
though the main plot was drawn from the Maha-
bharata. Vavu, it appears, was only a farce com-
posed under the auspices of Vidyotsahini and there

7

50

3 no evidence of its being put on boards of the
heatres at all

The story of Savitri and Satyavan runs thus :

Savitri the daughter of King Agvapati had en-
aged to be the wife of Satyavan, the son of the
eposed King Dyumatsen, who had turned a
ermit. Though revealed to her by the divine sage
mt Satyavan was to live only one year longer, she
iithfully kept her vow and was united in marriage
) the hermit-prince. Agreeably to the prediction
the holy sage the prince died after one year but
le faithful wife clung to his dead body and would
ot deliver it up though claimed by Yama, the King
E terrors in prison. At last King Yama, while
iving vara (eft, boon), was fairly outwitted by the
sntle but heroic Savitri and eventually Satyavan
as restored to life.

There is a departure in this drama from the Sans-
rit model, as regards the Ahkas. It adopted the
Ian of European drama of the five Acts ; our present
ramas too are of five acts only.

The play was staged on the 5th June, 1858 *
id successfully, like the previous performances. We
3t from Calcutta Review (1859, March, Vol. 32) :

"The performance, we are bound to say, does no

* Prabhakar^ 4th June, 1858.

51

little credit to him. The characters are on the whole
well-drawn, the scenes are interesting, dialogues smart
and spirited and the style chaste."

We may here mention to our readers that Savitri
formed an interesting theme for many later drama-
tists. Pandit Kshirode Prasad produced one in 1902
at the Star and a few years ago in 1931 May,
Star and Natyaniketan, vied with one another in the
representation of Sail on the stage. Savitri is also
an interesting topic for the present day cinema
pictures.

In 1859 Kali Prasanna wrote and published
another drama, the Malatimadhava or the Indian
Romeo and Juliet, based on Bhavabhuti's well-
known Sanskrit drama of the name. It was almost
an original drama, interspersed with some beautiful
songs. The author seemed from his preface to have
adopted this more to the purposes of stage which
could not be served by his previous dramas.

Kali Prasanna continued, till his death, to take a
lively interest for the improvement of the Bengali
Stage and Bengali Dramas, and if he lived more, we
would have expected more valued efforts towards the
revival of drama and stage. All his attempts towards
new ideals and reforms, even before Madhusudan
came to the field, were really very praiseworthy.

Chapter III

THE BELGACHHIA THEATRE

The first permanent stage of Bengal.

If any parallel is to be drawn, the Belgachhia
Theatre was to Bengal, what the Glove was in
England during the Elizabethan age. With it dates
the beginning of the permanent Bengali stage, for
all other attempts previous to this, however laudable
or brilliant, were but sporadic and temporary, hence
little abiding in their influence. Such was its
enlightened atmosphere and cultural spell that soon
pervaded the intelligentsia of Calcutta with a genuine
love and desire for national drama and for a national
stage. Above all, its service to Bengali literature is
invaluable, and so long the language is spoken or
written, its rich contributions will never be forgotten.

The Belgachhia Theatre drew out one of the
greatest poets of the modern world, we mean Michael
Madhusudan Dutt, and but for this it is doubtful
whether Madhusudan would have seriously turned to
Bengali literature at all. The thoroughly anglicised
youth, who prided in his mis-spelling of a common
Bengali word, has left the greatest classical work in

53

Bengali poetry. Our task of course is not to pursue
Madhusudan's career as a poet, but to notice only a
particular side of his great, versatile genius. Madhu-
sudan is unquestionably the greatest classical poet
of Bengal and one of the greatest masters of epic in
world's literature ; and we may also unhesitatingly
add that Madhusudan Dutt is the first great
dramatist of Bengal and his plays are the first
genuine dramatic works in Bengali literature. As
a drama KullnltulcLsarvasva Natak does not stand
any comparison with Krsnakumari and his two
farcical comedies still hold high place among the
witty productions in Bengali literature.

During the performance of the SaJcuntala in the
house of Babu Ashutosh Dev, vide page 3G, Babu
(afterwards Maharaja) Jatindra Mohan Tagore, a
highly enlightened zeminder of Calcutta and a
nephew of Babu Prasanna Kumar Tagore met Raja
Iswar Chandra Singh of Paikpara, Belgachhia, and
his brother Pratap Chandra Singh, who, too, came to
witness the performance. Iswar Chandra and Pratap
Chandra were, in the words of Babu Gaur Das
Bysak, two nature noblemen, "impregnated with true
patriotic zeal for the welfare and advancement of the
country." Jatindra Mohan in a highly opportune
moment, when they were witnessing the performance,
spoke to the brothers about the desirability of having
a permanent Bengali stage. It was, asserted

54

Jatindra Mohan, a sheer waste of time and money to
fritter away energy and enthusiasm in performances
for a day or two. The idea was instantly taken
up by the two brothers and in due course of time
the famous Belgachhia Theatre came into existence.
It was indeed a red letter day both for the Bengali
drama and for Bengali language.

The history of the foundation of the Belga-
chhia Theatre can be gathered from a letter written
by Raja Iswar Chandra Singh* to Babu Keshav
Chandra Ganguly, dated the 27th August 1858,
the year of the foundation of the Calcutta
University :

"When three or four years ago, you all quarrelled
with the proprietor of the Oriental Seminary,
we all proposed to have a native drama written
out and acted ; and such was our earnestness
in the cause that we all asked you to select and
hire a site and a native gentleman was asked
either for the loan or hire of the premises.
Somehow or other the subject dropped here,
and was never thought of more till a year and
a half ago, when we found some youngsters
getting up a representation of a native drama*
At this time a consultation was held and after
much discussion the Ratnavall was fixed upon
as the best drama or one of the best dramas
that our Sanskrit could boast of. Then again
came the difficulty of finding a man, who, with

* Vide> page, 220, Michael's life by Jogindfa Babu.

55

a thorough knowledge of the language, would
combine a dramatic talent. The man was at
last found. Sometime before this the Kulm-
kulasarvasva had acquired a just and well
merited fame and the author was pitched
upon as the only pandit, who, with a good know-
ledge of Sanskrit, combined dramatic talent,
and subsequently the translation was entrusted
to him."

Next, Iswar Chandra proceeds to give an account
as to how a year and a half they took to prepare the
play by having too many rehearsals and fixing too
many details.

The stage was built at enormous cost borne by
the two Rajas of Paikpara and their magnificent
Belgachhia villa formerly owned by Prince Dwarka-
nath Tagore, with the whole place appearing more
like a fairy land, added considerably to the beauty
and pomp of the dramatic entertainment.

The theatre opened with the performance of the
drama Ratnavall beginning from 8-30 p. M. and
closing at 12-30 on Saturday, July 31, 1858, and
about the success of the performance Babu Gaurdas
Bysak, who was an actor himself and the best friend
of Michael Madhusudan Dutt, described in his
reminiscences in the following manner in 1892 :

"To say that the Belgachhia Theatre scored a
brilliant success is to repeat truism that has
passed into a proverb. It achieved a success

56

unparalleled in the annals of Amateur Theatri-
cals in this country. The graceful stage, the
superb sceneries, the stirring Orchestra, the
dresses, the costly appurtenances, the splendid
get up of the whole concern were worthy of
the brother Rajas and the genius of their
intimate friend Maharaja Sir Jatindra Mohan
Tagore, an accomplished connoisseur. The per-
formance of a single play, Ratnaval 7 ^ which
alone cost the Rajas ten thousand rupees,
realised the idea, and established the character
of the real Hindu drama with the improvements
suited to the taste of an advanced age".

The Hindu Patriot of the time also wrote about
it in the following way* :

"The characters were so nicely balanced; the tone,
the gesture and what is called dramatic action
were so clever and consistent, and the counter-
feit of passions so natural and life-like that
we little expected so much excellence at the
outset of a dramatic company. Indeed from
first to last, stage was all action and animation
and the audience was all attention. The drama,
though not without some merits, is not much to
our taste... but superior talent of the amateurs
made amends for the feebleness of the play."

Babu Sriram Chatterjee, a distinguished scholar
of the Hindu College, wrote after seeing the perform-
ance :

"It can be said without contradiction that the stage
* H. P. 5th August, 1858.

57

presented the appearance of Indra's palace*
The whole audience was so charmed beyond
measure that even myself, however cynical in
many matters, remained entranced, as it were-"*

The elite of the town was present and amongst
others were noticed Sir Frederick Halliday, Mr.
Hume, Mr. Goodive Chakraberty, Kali Krishna
Bahadur, Ramgopal Ghose, Peari Chand Mitter,
Kisori Chand Mitter, Ramnarain Tarkaratna, the
Judges and Magistrates of Calcutta and other higher
officials and non-official s."j"

Most of the actors later in life occupied high
status in society and the cast was distributed as
follows

Raja Udayan ... Prconath Dutt, afterwards

Asst. Controller General.

Vasantaka (jester) ... Keshav Chandra Ganguly,

afterwards Superinten-
dent, Controller General's
office.

Romanvan (general) ... Raja Iswar Chandra Singh.

Yaugandharayana (minister) Babu Gaurdas Bysak, De-
puty Magistrate, next
Deonath Ghosh, Officer
Finance Department and
a Ray Bahadur.

Vabhravya ... Nabin Chandra Mukherjee.

* Madhu's Biograhy.

I Prabhakar % 4th Aug, 1858,

8

58

Bahubhuti

Vasavadatta

Ratnavali

Susangata

Bajikar (magician)

Darwan

Sutradhar

Copdars

Girish Chandra Chatterjee.
Mahendra Nath Goswami.
Hem Chandra Mukherjee.
Aghore Chandra Digharia.
Srinath Sen.
Jadu Nath Ghose.
Kshetra Mohan Goswami.

Dwaraka Nath Mullick and
Krishna Gopal Ghose.

Ramnath Laha.

Kalidas Sanyal and Kali
Prasanna Banerjee.

A Brahmin from Seram-
pore.

Maharaja, Jatindra Mohan.

Kshetra Mohan Pal and
Jadunath Goswami, the
famous musicians of
Bengal.*

Besides Dr. Rajendra Lala Mitra, Pandit Iswar
Chandra Vidyasagore, Ramaprasad Roy, Vakil (who
was the first Indian Judge of the High Court but
died before taking his seat), Dwarakanath Mullick of
Pataldanga, Tara Charan Guha of Hogal Kuria and
other persons of lead and light, used to take a
keen interest for the success of the performance.

Dancers
Kancanamala

Music Master
Concert

Mr. J. N. Basu's book, p. 223.

59

As to how the artists acquitted themselves in
their respective roles, we should better quote the
words of Babu Gaurdas Bysak* :

"The dramatic corps was drawn from the flower
of our educated youth. Among the actors, Babu
Keshav Chandra Ganguly stood pre-eminent.

Endowed by nature with histrionic talent of no
mean order, he represented the Vidusalca (jester)
with such life-like reality, and so rich a fund of
humour as to be styled the "Garrick of our Bengali
Stage." Raja Iswar Chandra Singh, who looked a
prince every inch, encased in mail-coat armour, with
a jewelled sword hanging by his side, acted his part,
with wonderful effect, befitting the character of a
generalissimo. Sagarika, the sea-rescued heroine
depicted in the play as a maiden of exemplary
patience under suffering, extreme modesty and a
heart tender and susceptible to the influence of love
was represented by an intelligent Brahmin lad, whose
musical voice enchanted the audience* The queen
Vasavadatta who is most queenly in her character had
her part admirably acted by a handsome young lad
Mahendra Nath Goswami even to the line in the
original "Resigns all hope of life which is now
unbearable". The scene in which the magician
(Srinath Sen) set fire to the house of Raja
Udayaha, king of Kashmir, by means of his wand

*Madhusudan's Biography by J. N. Bose, p. 223.

60

and incantations (mantras) and the flashes of light
that were produced by storntium red fire (then quite
a rare and novel substance here) as well as the scene
in which the full moon rose behind the plantain
grove, were so affectingly enacted as to rivet the
wonder and admiration of the audience. The manner
in which the other actors, one and all, acquitted
themselves met with the warmest applause from
the audience an audience composed of the elite
of Calcutta, the cream of European and native
society. Eminent Government officials and high
non-official gentlemen who witnessed the perform-
ances spoke of ^exquisite treat" they had enjoyed as
heightening their idea of our Indian music and of
our Indian stage. The Lieutenant Governor, Sir
Frederick Halliday, who was present with his family 5
was so delighted with acting of Babu Keshav
Chandra that he complimented him on his extra-
ordinary dramatic talents. He said that looking at
his serious and sedate appearance one could hardly
believe him capable of acting so capitally the part of
the Jester.*

So eager were the people to see the performance
that on one occasion a certain wealthy gentleman of
Calcutta unable to obtain an invitation from the
Rajas offered even a hundred rupees or more for the

* Jogendra Nath Bose's Biography of Michael M S.
Dutt in Bengali, p. 648-49, 3rd. Edition.

61

purchase of a single ticket. It was something
preposterous, no doubt, but it showed the eagerness
evinced by the people to witness the performance of
Belgachhia amateurs.

Babu Kisori Chand Mitra also wrote in the
Calcutta Revieiv about Keshav, thus :

"The part of the king and Ratnavali were per-
formed by youngmen, who acquitted themselves
most creditably in their situation which were
eminently dramatic but the gem of the actors was
Vasantaka, who was represented by Babu Keshav
Chandra Ganguly. His ready wit, his brilliant
bonmots, inimitable comic humour may fairly entitle
him to the praise of being the best actor in Bengal.
He kept up the interest of the play most successfully
and was the life and soul of the performance. The
performance was a great success."

Michael Madhusudan Dutt, who was most inti-
mately associated with this Theatre dedicated after-
wards his drama Krsnakuman to Keshav Chandra,
whom he called "The first actor of the age".

Now let us see how far did the outside opinion
accept the performance. The Hindu Patriot of the
5th August, 1858 thus writes :

"We most willingly call to notice the excellent
performance of the character of Ratnavali, the

heroine of the play

The passions, the emotions were so vividly

62

depicted that we scarcely believe, there was one
among the audience upon whom these did not
make an impression and such as is not likely
soon to wear away. The part of the king did not
want in dignity, in earnestness or in depth and
if, as we have heard some friends remark, his
lament over the sufferings of his love was too
theatrical and the action therein exceeding the
language of his grief, we must absolve him from
all blame, who was too knowing not to know
the measure of the lament. For sooth the
passion was wrought up to so high a pitch that
less earnestness would have become indecorous ;
the defect was that the plot of the play was not
fully developed to give nature adequate scope
for action. Union is not only strength but
beauty ; this was remarkably illustrated in the
conjoint action of the King and Ratnavali, both
when the latter reduced to the last point of
despair was about to transmigrate herself to the
other world, where there would be no grief and
disappointment and when she was surprised to
see the king come to her rescue when the
apartments of her confinement were in flames.
Then the king snatching his dearest love, as it
were, from the grasp of grim Death Ratnavali
falling senseless with all the tranquil beauty of
such an hour on the arms of her lover His
Kingship's awakening her to sense with gentle
strokes of affections, and her gradually regain-
ing life and strength the confused interchange
and intermingling of affections Oh ! it was Ex-
quisite, Exquisite. It brought tears to many eyes,

63

we shall never foget it. There was then the King's
jester it. The character kept the audience in in-
cessant laughter and nothing could be finer and
more amusing than the joy, hilarity what we
may call verbose delight and penitent wonder
which were specially called forth during the little
interleaned comedies of errors which perpe-
tually animated the conversations and witticisms
of Vasantaka. There was so much worldliness
mixed up with pleasantry in this character
that it required consummate mastery of human
nature and thorough knowledge of the world
which we are happy to say, the amateur
displayed to admiration. The interest of the
performance of the part was so great that the
jester was the special favourite of the night's
audience Susangata the queen's maid also
Ratnavali's friend was pretty well in keeping
with her part and the artless cunning with which
she superintended the first two visits of the
king with his love, was characteristic. The
queen's part was somewhat wanting in queenli-
ness but the moral control which she held over
the king was so inexorably exercised that an
exemplary husband told us in confidence nothing
could be more true to nature. The story of
the ship-wreck related by the minister of the
King of Ceylon was well described. The per-
sonal bearings of some of the characters were
particularly striking as those of King Vijay
Varma and Ratnavali."

Another special feature of the theatre was the
introduction of the national Orchestra on the basis

64

of Indian instruments and it was Raja Jatindra
Mohan, who suggested this. The concert was played
under the direction of Professor Kshetra Mohan
Goswami, a genius in music and Babu Jadunath
Pal led the band. Gosain for the first time put
into notation some of the native tunes and ragas
and thus was the first Concert Band in Bengal
formed. Babu Gurudayal Chaudhury disciple of the
poet Iswar Gupta composed songs for the purpose. *

Indeed, the music had so powerful and beneficial
an effect upon the English gentlemen that one of
them to whom the Anglo India Drama and Music
owe more than to any other English resident in
India, remarked that it completely neutralised in his
mind the prejudices which he had conceived against
tho Hindu music. The airs complacently preserved
the oriental character of the occasion.

As to dancing, the Patriot observes :

"We were, however, not a little surprised with the
nice dancing which we witnessed* At first we
mistook the dancers who played so wonderfully
for nautch girls until we were disabused of our
impression by authentic evidence. Indeed, they
trimmed over the stage ground so lightly and
moved briskly that one not behind the scenes
could scarcely forego the above conclusion."

* I. Gaurdas Bysak's reminisences.
2, Kisori Chand Mitter's article,

65

Then at the suggestion of his friend Babu Gaur-
das Bysak, Madhusudan was engaged by the Rajas
to translate the play for the convenience of spectators,
who could not understand Bengali. The translation
was a masterpiece and few Englishmen, said the
Harkara, could have written so chaste and beautiful
English.

In this permanent stage-of Belgachhia, Ratnavall
alone was performed twelve nights, and this would
not have been possible if the stage was a temporary
one. Indeed, Belgachhia permanent Theatre marked
a new era in the history of the Bengali Stage. It
acted as a first great stimulus and henceforth theatres
were started all over the country. The organisers
have left a history behind and no greater compli-
ment is possible than what was paid by Michael
Madhusudan Dutt in the following words :

"Should the drama ever again flourish in India,
posterity will not forget those noble gentlemen, the
earliest friends of our rising National Theatre?*

Our readers will remember that the idea of a
National Theatre came first from Madhu Sudan.

II. SARMISHTHA.

Ratnavall was followed by Sarmistha written
for the aforesaid theatre by Michael Madhusudan

* Preface to

9

66

Dutt, who, when Sagarika (Ratnavall) was losing
attraction by repetition, came to the rescue with his
first Bengali production. But the question is how
could a Bengali drama come out from the pen of the
Anglicised Bengali, who found it difficult even to
spell the simple Bengali word Prthivl meaning
the earth, rather prided in mis-spelling the word,
confidently remarking to his friend Bhudev Mukher-
jee, that it must be Prathivl and not Prthivl ? The
solution surely lies in the miracle of his genius
more than with anything else.

It is said that when the rehearsal of Ratnavall
had been going on, Madhusudan exclaimed to his
friend Gaurdas Bysak, another promoter thereof
"what a pity that the Rajas have spent such a lot of
money over a miserable play. I wish I had known
of it before, as I could have given you a piece worthy
of your theatre". Babu Gaurdas laughed at these
presumptuous words, but a genius like Madhusudan
was not to be put out by laughter or cold sneer,
and within a short space of time he brought to the
astonishment of his friends, the above mentioned
drama which was successfully acted by the troupe
on the 3rd September, 1859. Both Jatindra
Mohan Tagore and Raja Is war Chandra were
principal organisers and the former composed some
songs including the ode to $iva in the last act of the
performance*

The dramatic cast was as follows :

King Yayati

Preonath Dutt.

(as his father died, the part
of Raja was performed by
Jadunath Chatter jee)

Keshav Chandra Ganguly.
Nobin Chandra Mukherjee.
Dena Nath Ghose.
Sarat Chandra Ghose, (laterly

of the Bengal Theatre).
Iswar Chandra Singh.
Tara Chand Guha.

[As the Raja fell from the back of his horse and his
hand fractured, Tara Chand took the part of Bakasur
and his part of Daitya was taken by Nritya Lai Das.]

Citizens ... Harish Chandra Mukherjee.

Rasik Lai Saw.
Brono Lai Dutt.

Madhavya (Basantaka)
Mantri (minister)
Sukracarya (Rsi)
Kapil (His disciple)

Bakasur (General)
Daitya (An officer)

Courtiers
Copdar

Darwan

Devajani

Sarmistha

Jatindra Mohan Tagore.
Rajendra Lai Mitter.

Dwarkanath Mullick this
part ultimately was taken
by Mahesh Chandra Chan-
der.

Jatindra Ghose, Raja's
brother-in-law.

Hem Chandra Mukherjee,
(Sagarika of Hatnavall).

Kristodhone Mukherjee, (a
new-comer) a real acqui-
sition.

PBrnika ... Kalidas Sandel (formerly

appeared as a dancing girl).
Devika ... Aghore Chandra Digharia

(Susangata).

Nata ... Braja Durlabh Dutta.

Naj;i ... Chuni Lai Bose (as before).

Maidservant ... Kali Prasanna Mukherjee.

Dancing girls ... The same as before plus

Bankim Chandra

Mukherjee. *

Though Raja Is war Chandra doubted whether
&armistha would be as popular as Ratnavall, it was
indeed a great success and the newspapers of the
time spoke highly of the performance.

Madhu, too, was present in the performance and
wrote to his friend Babu Rajnarain Bose about its
successful representation :

"When tSarmistha was acted at Belgachhia, the
impression it created was simply indescribable.
Even the least romantic spectator was charmed
by the character of Sarmistha and shed tears
with her. As for my own feelings, they were
"things to dream of, not to tell 1 '. Poor old
Ram Chandra (Babu Ram Chandra Mitra, the
veteran old teacher of the Hindu College) was

* From a letter, 24th March, 1859 of Raja Iswar
Chandra fixing the cast and written to Gaurdas
Bysak. Vide, Madhusudarfs Biography \ p. 233 by
Jogindra Nath Bose.

Vide also Anusllan and Purohit, 1302, Jyaisiha %
Rahgabhumir Itivrtta*

half mad and grasped my hand saying "why,
dear Madhu, my dear Madhu, this does you
great credit indeed ; Oh, it is beautiful.''

How the enlightened public appreciated the
performance, will be evident from the review in the
Hindu Patriot (September 10, 1859) :

"The period of the drama transports us back to
Indian society as it was two thousand yeas ago
and we are glad to state that the scenic arrange-
ments and the accoutrements of the corps
dramatique pictured forth with a marvellous
accuracy the India life, habitudes and usages
of the distant age. Our antiquarian friends
present on the occasion bore cheerful testimony
to their accuracy. The habitements of the
Sage Sukracarya flowing from neck to foot
tinged with mud green colour approximating
in sombreness to the covering sheet of an Egyp-
tian Mummy adoring the Calcutta Asiatic
Museum, and withal beautifully attesting to
the austere life of the 72i, in marked contrast
to the costume of our capuchins of the present
day were an object of particular admiration to
them. The court was splendidly represented,
the courtiers observing a fidelity of manner and
bearing, which, those, who accuse our country-
men of deficiency in either, ought to have wit-
nessed to disabuse themselves of their errone-
ous ideas.

The performance, we are happy to be able to
remark, was not charged with any appreciable
exaggeration. A free and full scope was afford-

70

ed to nature and if the outset wanted a little
in life and animation, it was more than com-
pensated for by the unusually exciting interest,
which the play created as it neared the conclu-
sion. This time, as on the past occasion, the
jester was the soul of the corps. The genial
play of his fancy, his exquisite humour and
his frolics, his appropriate % apothegems un-
obstrusively introduced in the midst of quiet
laughter, and his merry consideration of self,
undisguised and always enlivening were always
welcome and often exciting. There was so
much freedom, life, grace and nature about
him that we can boldly declare, he will do equal
justice to the Boards of Paris or London. The
other characters comported themselves as agree-
ably to the audience as creditably to themselves.
They were particularly observant of decorum,
seldom transgressing the modesty of nature."

SarmistJia is important from other points of
view also. It marks the epoch when Bengali Dramas
began to just come into being. Madhusudan also
introduced some innovations and was practically the
pioneer to secede from the old Sanskrit school of
drama. Bliadrarjun was rather too insignificant
a drama to draw any notice of the people, and we
have also seen Kaliprasanna Sinha was gradually
receding from the old model, but it was Madhusudan,
who gave the last blow. From the very beginning
Madhusudan tried to discard old Sanskrit models
and classical conventions. In the preface to the

71

translation of Ratna/vall Madhusudan wrote "A host
of writers, who will discard Sanskrit Models and look
to higher sources for inspiration."

Mahamahopadhyaya Premchand Tarkavagish, the
famous Sanskritist of that time, going through the
manuscript copy of Madhusudan's armistha remark-
ed, "It is no drama, perhaps it is the production of
a young Babu having a knowledge of English ; any
corrections made would necessitate the change of the
look as a whole." Madhu, on the other hand, required
no help from a Sanskrit dramatist and wanted to
stand or fall by himself. Thus he writes to his
friend Gaurdas Bysak :

"I am aware, my dear fellow, that there will, in
all likelihood, be something of a foreign air about
my drama and that it is my intention to throw off
the fetters forged for us by a servile taste of every-
thing Sanskrit."

Madhu, however, could not shake himself off from
all the old technique and formalities, but taking
everything into consideration, Madhusudan may be
considered to be the pioneer showing a new path,
which was henceforth to be followed by later drama-
tists.

The opening song was composed by Madhusudan.
It throws a light on his attitude of mind then
uppermost in him, to see dramatic art reaching a high
Standard of mor^l excellence an4 it also gives %

72

hint about the low standard of dramatic literature
then prevalent. Thus it runs :

"O, mother India, how long will you remain in
slumber ? There was a time when dramatic art was
in ascendency in India but it is almost dead now.
Where are the poets Valmiki, Vyasa Kalidasa and
Bhavabhuti ? I cannot bear the sight of the sons of
Bengal being charmed by dramas of evil taste. They
drink poison, leaving aside nectar. I invoke thee,
oh mother, to awake and enthuse good taste in
them."*

Sarmistlia really put Madhu at the head of
the Bengali authors and it was considered by the

Mati hay kotha se sukher samay,

Ye samay, de^amay, nafyaras savi^es chila

rasamay.

Sona go bharatabhumi kata nidra yave tumi,

5r nidra ucit na hay.
U|;ha tyaja ghumaghor, haila haila bhor,

Dinakar pracite uday.
Kothay Valmiki Vyas, kotha tava Kalidasa,

Kotha Bhavabhuti mahoday.

Alik kunajyarange, maje loka Radhe Vaiige

Nirakhiya prane nahi say.

Sudharasa anadare, ViSavari pana kare,

tahe hay tanu, mana ksay.

Madhu kahe jago ma go, vibhusthane ei mago,

surase pravrtta ha'k tava tanayanicay.

* Dr. Rajendra Lala Mitra's Vih sam. pancani parva }
$amkhya $8, kaka Ij8o } Magha,

73

people of Bengal as the best Bengali drama, hitherto
published in Bengali.

Madhu himself wrote out a translation of the
same for the English-speaking audience.

The last performance of armistha in the
Belgachhia Theatre was on September 22, 1859 as
was noticed in the Bengal Harltara of Tuesday,
September 29, 1859 :

"The armistha was performed for the last time, we
understand, before the holidays on Tuesday

evening last, at the little private Theatre

Among the company were present The
Hon'ble Sir J. P. Grant, Lt. Governor of
Bengal, Mr. & Mrs. J. P. Grant Junior, Dr. and
Mrs, McPherson, Major Plowden, Private
Secretary to Lieutenant Governor, Mr. C.
Piffard and Mr. H P. Hinde of the Supreme
Court Bar, Mr. Site Apcar, Moonshi Ameerali
of Patna notoriety, Babu Rajendra Lala Mitter,
a numerous and fashionable audience from the
depot at Dum Dum and many other native and
European gentlemen/'

The above plays Kullnkulasarvasva, &akuntala,
Ratnavall and tiarmistha inaugurated a new epoch
in the history of the dramatic literature in Bengal,
about which Rev. J. Long did not forget to mention
in his report to the Government of Bengal in 1859,
in following words :

"A taste for Dramatic Exhibition has lately
10

74

revived among the educated Hindus, who find that
translations of the Ancient Hindu Dramas are
more valuable than translations from English
Plays.--

Foremost among the persons of the Drama are
Raja Pratap Chander Singh and a young Zeminder
Kali Prasanna Singh."

Madhusudan's second drama was Padmavati
written after the Great legends. Its Sacl, Ratl,
Narada, Raja Indranil and the princess Padmavati
are copied from the Greek Juno, Venus, Discordia,
Paris and Helen of Homer's Illiad, with of course
some difference in representation of art and character
in a way characteristic of Madhu's genius. Madhu
expected it to be staged at the Belgachhia, but it
could not be so done.

Madhusudan next wrote the two farcical comedies
Eke i ki Bale Sabhyata (Is this civilization) and
BurnsaliJcer Ghare Row in the same year, i. a, in
1860. The former exposes the habits of Young
Bengal and the latter mercilessly does of the hypo-
crites, who put on a sanctimonious air. Most of
these religious frauds like Bhafctaprasad of the latter
farce are really licentious and avaricious.

As to Madhusudan's dramas, opinion is divided,
but the farces have been very highly spoken of by
all classes of people including even the most fasti-
dious critic. We quote below the observations of

75

a writer, who is thought by some people as the
renowned Bankim Chandra Chatterjee that appeared
in the Calcutta Review of 1871 (Vol. 52) in the
name of Babu Haramohan Mukherjee :

"As a dramatist Mr. Dutt is not successful. Among
his plays are Sarmistha, Padniavatl and Krma-
kuman and the first mentioned in particular
is very generally admired. In our judgments
none of them are of much value and his un-
doubted poetic genius seems to divert him as
soon as he sets about writing a play. His
farces, however, are good, one of them entitled,
Is this civilization is best in the language.
This little work deserves notice independently
of its great merit. The Bengali Press at the
present day is very prolific, but by far the larg-
est part of the books published are mere
servile imitations of some successful author.
There are imitations of Vidyasagore, imitations
of Tek Chand Thakur, of Dina Bandu Mitra, of
the author of Durges-nandirii, but perhaps no
work has formed the model for so many imita-
tors as 7s this civilization* It is a farce with a
purpose being intended chiefly to ridicule and
so expose the vice of drunkenness and other
evils by which it is generally attended.

This little work, therefore, independently of its being
in itself one of the best farces in the language
joins the additional importance from the large
number of other books written after its model.

To give an adequate idea of this clever little work
by translated extracts would be entirely im-

76

possible, because half the fun lies in the absurd
Jargon interlaced with English words and the
cant of debating clubs in which the characters
speak. The scene is laid in the Jvuina-
tarangim Sab ha, a sort of scientific debating
society, which chiefly devoted itself to nautch
girls and tippling. The types of life and
character, which it represents, are sufficiently
disgusting and the important question is
whether representation is correct*

To the shame of Bengal we must say that we fear
the picture is a true one.

The reformer, who never gets beyond tipsy, haran-
gues full of English expressions, should not be
confounded, as he often is, by Europeans with
the really civilised class. But it cannot be
denied that he is a fair representation of the
great horde of partly educated Babus, whose
only claim to enlightenment lies in the fact that
they drink, wear shabby trousers and stammer
out barbarous English. These are the men, who
swarm in every office and plague officials with
endless applications for employment, crowd the
thoroughfares of the native town in the evening,
drain the liquor-shops and form the majority
of his audience when Babu Keshav Chandra
Sen lectures in the Town Hall. Of education
they have had nothing worth the name. Having
spent a few years very profitably in learning
smattering of English at home or Anglo-verna-
cular school, they started in life, if poor, at the
age of eighteen as umedwars, if rich, they

77

devoted themselves from the same age with
their whole strength to swinish pleasures. The
country is over-run with men of this sort and
Mr. Dutt's picture is true in life ; but they must
not be confounded with the really cultivated
class, who, inspite of all that has been said
regarding the spread of English education, are
comparatively few in number-

The other farce also describes the vices of a man
who poses as a pious man but was a debauch
within."

The above review appeared during the lifetime
of Madhusudan, and so far as the farces are con-
cerned the above remarks are justly true ; but as
regards the dramas, we humbly differ. Madhu's
dramas did not find recognition in the first stage, as
the Sanskrit school of critics (by far the largest at
the time) found him a renegade from the established
school of dramas and the Bankim school wanted a
dramatist of a higher standard like Marlow or
Shakespeare and as Madhu could not satisfy either
class, he had few friends to admire him though his
dramas, especially Krsnakumari, had much of
dramatic excellence in them. Indeed, Madhusudan
was the pioneer and may very well be considered as
the best of the dramatists of the earliest history of
Bengali dramas.

Is this civilization was also very highly spoken
of by the Hindu Patriot, July 31, 1856 ;

78

"This farce is undoubtedly one of the happiest re-
productions of the fertile brain of the gifted
poet- It is a life-like picture of Young
Bengal full of sallies of wit and humour and
written in familiar graceful Bengali."

Now as to why these farces, though written for
the Belgachhia Theatre, could not be acted there, we
would better quote from the reminiscences of Babu
Keshav Chandra Ganguly about Madhusudan. The
following account, taken from the Biography of the
poet, will greatly interest our readers :*

''After the farces were written by Madhusudan
for the Belgachhia Theatre and were subsequently
printed at the expense of the Rajas of Paikpara and
the characters were cast, the rehearsals commenced.
But an adverse circumstance occured, which prevented
their being brought on the stage.

"A few of the young Bengal class getting a
scent of the farce "Eke i Tci Bale Sabliyata and
seeing that the caricature made in it touched them
too closely, raised a hue and cry and choosing for
their leader a gentleman of position and influence,
who, they knew, had some influence with the Rajas
deputed him to dissuade them from producing the
farce on the Board of the Theatre. This gentleman
(also a young Bengal) fought tooth and nail for the
success of his mission."

* * Madhusudan's Biography, 2nd Edition, p. 32-33,
Pariiista.

79

'The Rajas would not yield at first, but under
great pressure were obliged to give up the farce.
Raja Is war Chandra Singh was so disgusted at this
affair that he resolved not only to give up the other
farce, but to have no more Bengali plays acted at the
Belgachhia Theatre. This circumstance was not
known to our friend Michael, who pestered me with
repeated enquiries, why the farces were not taken up
in earnest by the Belgachhia Dramatic Corps. Is it
because we think that they were not well written.
I could only give him an evasive reply saying that
as one farce exposes the faults and failings of Young
Bengal and the other, those of the old Hindus, and
as the Rajas were popular with both the classes,
they did not wish to offend either class by having
them acted in theatre- The above incident how-
ever, so much disgusted Raja Is war Chandra that he
made every representation for having some English
farces acted on the Boards of the Belgachhia Theatre.*
And rehearsals actually commenced with the Raja
himself, Dr. Rajendra Lala Mitter, Babu Keshav
Chandra Ganguly, Babu Dinanath Ghose and others,
but as Babu Jatindra Mohan Tagore was opposed
to the acting of English plays or farces on the
Boards of the Bengali Theatre, the project fell
through and the theatre was practically suspended."

* Jatindra Mohan in a letter, dated 22nd May, 1860,
writes to Madhu saying, "I am led to believe that
the Rajas will have no more Bengali plays at the
Belgachhia." MichaeVs Biography, page

80

Madhu next composed a drama Subhadra, which
he did not intend for the stage, as it was simply a
dramatic poem. He then culled out his subject
from the Pathan History and set upon himself to
write a piece under the name of Rezia, daughter of
King Altamash of the Slave Dynasty, as he thought,
"Mahomedans are a fiercer race than ourselves and
would afford splendid opportunity for the display of
passion," and sent a synopsis of the play to Babu
Keshav Chandra Ganguly, Maharaja Jatindra
Mohan Tagore and Raja Iswar Chandra Singh for
consideration if it could be acted at the Belgachhia
Theatre. They, however, thought that Mahomedan
names would not hear well in a Bengali drama and
too many female characters therein could not be well
represented. Keshav, however, thought, the history
of the Rajputs would afford materials for a proper
drama. Madhu took the subject in right earnest and
within a space of one month's time from August 6
to September 7, 1860, finished his drama l&sna-
kumarl. This book, as we have seen, was dedicated
to Keshav Chandra Ganguly.

Madhu wanted it, as he said, his heart was set
upon seeing it, to be acted at Belgachhia. He wanted
Mr. Ganguly to see the Chhota Raja (Raja Iswar
Chandra) with Dinonath and Jatindra Mohan and
mildly threatened saying, "Mind, you all broke my
wings once about the farces ; if you play a similar

81

trick this time, I shall forswear Bengali and write
books in Hebrew or Chinese."

But Raja Iswar Chandra was unmovable partly
for his illness and partly for the previous disappoint-
ment and the theatre soon became the "abode of
Bats". In vain Madhusudan tried for its revival
and in a letter to Mr. Ganguly he wrote :

"It strikes me, that if the Drama is to be acted
as it has not received even a moderate degree of
development in this country, you had better at once
organise your company and begin operations with
the two acts printed- Go on rehearsing at Jatindra's
and then you can settle whether we are to do the
thing in the Town Theatre or blaze out at dear old
Belgachhia 1 vote for Belgachhia."

Madhu also selected the cast putting the role of
Dhanadas in the hands of Keshav, but he was sorry
to find as he wrote, "I am afraid, brother Keshav,
we are losing that fine enthusiasm we once had in
matters dramatic" and was stirring his friend in the
words, "If the Rajas of Paikpara are bent upon
shutting their doors against Sarasvati, I hope, the
poor Goddess will still find a warm friend in Babu
Jatindra Mohan Tagore."

But alas ! the continued illness and the sad
and untimely death of Raja Iswar Chandra, a prince
amongst men, on the 29th March, 1861, put an end
to the project for ever, The Belgachhia, the first

11

82

permanent stage of Bengal, was thus broken up,
leaving its memory for good. There is no trace of
the stage now, but the memories of Raja brothers,
Jatindra Mohan Tagore, Keshav Chandra Ganguly,
above all, Madhusudan Dutt and his farce. Is this
civilization, written for it, will ever remain fresh in
the minds of every Bengalee, so long as civilization
remains with us.

The songs of KrsnaJcumarl were composed by
Maharaja Jatindra Mohan, who, on this occasion as
before, bore the cost of printing the drama. This is
the first Bengali tragedy in the dramatic literature
of Bengal and the Hindu Patriot of February 1867,
writes thus :

"This is the best and original drama in the Bengali
language familiar with the richest treasures of
the dramatic Literature of Europe and India.
Our author had enriched his mother tongue with
a production, which would bear comparison
with the first class dramas of the ancient and
modern classics. Written in chaste Bengali
with a plot admirably developed, the characters
beautifully fitting into each other and possessed
of an antique grandeur, Krsnakuman if it
had not been stamped with imprint of a modern
press and name of a modern writer, would have
passed as one of those master-productions of
poetic genius, which have won for ancient
India such an eminent place in the republic of
letters."

83

This is not the place to criticise about the
Dramatic merits of Madhusudan's genius, but it is
undeniable that his pen produced the first successful
Pauranik Drama,* the first tragedy, the first histori-
cal drama and as a social sketch the first farce that
has remained unsurpassed by any writer even until
this day and it is he, who dreamt for National
Theatre, hoped for it and before his death saw its
birth and wrote dramas for it. So long as Bengali
Drama and Theatre will have its history, Madhu-
sudan's name will ever be remembered with sincere
gratefulness by his countrymen-

Rev. KESHAV CHANDRA ON THE STAGE

Drama exercised such a fascination over the
country that almost all her gifted sons took an
active interest in it, and of them Eev. Keshav
Chandra Sen, the illustrious preacher, was one. The
name of Keshav is a bye-word amongst the educated
Bengalees for his great oratorial powers, superb
eloquence and the supreme gifts of carrying every-
thing before him, like whom Europe has scarcely seen
a dozen of preachers since the spread of Christianity
in the west. In his student days, Keshav was a great
lover of drama, who, with his friend and associate
Rev. Brother Pratap Chandra Mazumder, a great
orator ( to those orations America bore many

* We have already mentioned about Bhadrarjun Naiak,

84

eloquent testimonies of appreciation and praise) and
Babu Narendra Nath Sen (afterwards the famous
editor of the Indian Mirror, who never faltered to
speak the truth face to face even to an angry
Viceroy) figured as Hamlet, Leartes and Ophelia
respectively in the performance of Hemlet, in English
at their native village Garifa. This was in 1857 or
thereabout, when SaJcuntala and other Bengali
dramas were being staged.

The other parts were represented as follows :

Horatio ... Akshay Kumar Mazumder.

Polinius ... Bhola Nath Chakraverty-

Barnardo ... Jogendra Nath Sen.

King ... Mahendra Nath Sen.

Queen ... Nanda Lai Das.

An interesting and faithful account of the per-
formance may be gathered from the well known
book, "Life and teachings of Keshav Chandra Sen"
by Rev. Pratap Chandra Mazumder, p. 101-102 :

"A stage was improvised, castway European clothes
were speedily procured from the bearers and we
painted our faces as best as we could. Keshav
played Hamlet most successfully, he had the
constitution of the Danish Prince by nature.
The present writer took the part of Leartes,
while Narendra Nath Sen, who had thin girlish
voice at the time, played Ophelia very feelingly.
Considering our age and training, the perform-
ance was successful. We kept up the play

85

from time to time, till Keshav's theatrical
propensities developed into the Vidhavavivaha
Naiak, a little while afterwards."

As to the performance of the second drama
Vidhava-vivaha NataTc, the same writer gives an
interesting and faithful account as follows in pages
114-16 of his book :

"In the splendid building at Chitpore Eoad to which
the Brahma School was removed in 1859,
Keshav found a somewhat unexpected occu-
pation. He was entrusted with the management
of an institution very different from the Brahma
School. It was a Dramatic Club to put on the
stage Vidhavabivaha Natak ( Widow-marriage
Drama) written with the object of reforming
the cruel custom of the forced celibacy of young
Hindu widows. By repeated representation
of Hamlet and other performances half musical,
half dramatic, Keshav had developed such a
talent for stage management that the gentlemen,
who projected this company, most of them our
relatives and neighbours, senior to us in age,
implicitly trusted Keshav with the sole charge of
the new undertaking. Keshav's love for
Shakespeare and for good dramas in general
was unbounded, it was one of those
dispositions, which his early asceticism never
wholly effaced, strange as that may seem and
which adhered to him till the last day of his life.

He always looked upon dramatic representation not
only as a most enlightened form of public

86

amusement but also as a most potent agency
for the reformation of social evils. Abstemi-
ous in his own personal habits, he never grudged
to the community its legitimate share of rational
recreation. Natural innocent joyousness he
held to be the safety-valve of a hundred ill-
humours in the human mind also as a great force
by which an individual and a nation might be
raised to the most exalted ideals. To all these
motives were added the intense sympathy he
felt with the marriage of Hindu widows. Since
the inaugeration of the widow marriage reform
in 1856,* Keshav, though then a very young man,
wished well to the cause and did what he could
do to contribute to its success. He, therefore,
cheerfully accepted the management of the
Widow marriage Drama. Four institutions now
ran abreast each other under Keshav's super-
vision. There was the Colootola Evening
School, the Good Will Fraternity, the Brahma
School and the Theatre at Chitpore Road. As
nearly the same individuals comprised the staff
of them all, it was sometimes amusing and
perplexing to hear the several bells ring almost
simultaneously for the classes of the first, the
services of the second, lectures of the third and
rehearsals of the fourth.

The plot of the drama was the miserable life of a

* In 1855, a society for the reformation of Hindu
customs with Kisori Chand Mitter as secretary
was formed, where Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidya*
sagore now and then used to read pamphlets*

87

Hindu widow, shut in the Zenana, who t in her
solitary friendless condition, formed an attach-
ment to a young neighbour by whom she was
led to course of sin. The concluding scenes
depicted her sufferings, her suicide, her con-
fessions with appeals to all patriotic men, to
put an end to the forced celibacy of Hindu
widows. The performance was first opened to
the public in the beginning of 1859 and pro-
duced a sensation in Calcutta, which, those, who
witnessed it, can never forget. The represent-
atives of the highest classes of Hindu society
were present. The pioneer and father of the
widow marriage movement Pandit Iswar came
more than once, and tender-hearted as he was,
was moved to floods of tears. In fact, there
was scarcely a dry eye in the great audience :
undoubtedly the most wholesome effect was
produced. Keshav, as stage manager, was
warmly complimented on his energy and
intelligence and we, his friends, as amateur
actors, who had done our best, also received
our humble share of praise, Though his
dramatic success brought Keshav a good deal
before the public in that dawn and flash of his
spiritual character, the occupation of a stage
manager could not but soon grow uncongenial.
He and his companions were often thrown into
heterogenous company ; some of the parts played
were undoubtedly harmful in their moral
tendency ; there was inevitable dissipation,
frivolity and a dangerous love of public
applause. So before the end of the year the

Theatre was given up completely and Keshav
turned his attention to more serious and
important subjects."

The drama in Bengali was from the pen of late
Babu Umesh Chandra Mitra, who treated the social
question admirably * and the place of its perform-
ance was at Sinduria Pati (Chitpore Road) near
Canning Street at the house of Babu Gopal Lai
Mullick. The Theatre was called the Metropolitan
Theatre after the name of the Hindu Metropolitan
College, which had been located here.f The first
performance was on the 23rd June, 1858.

The Hurlcara t gives an account that on April
27, 1859, the audience numbered 500 persons, per-
formance commencing at 8 p.m. and closed at 3 a.m.
and the part performed by a Tol Pandit, Tarka-
lankar and by Sukhamayi, elicited most admiration
and that the stage scenes were well got up, and that
thanks were due to the proprietor Muralidhar Sen.

* Citizen, June 26, 1859.

\ It is now at the Samkar Ghose Lane, under the name
of the Vidyasagar College.

t Another drama of a similar nature with Vidhava-
udvaha Naiak was to be acted in the northern
part of the town at Kansaripara in the house
of a Bania, Manindra Lai Bose, Bengal Hurkara %
May 21,

89

The cast as follows :

Kirtiram Ghos
Manmatha

Rama Kanta

Guru Maha^aya

Ramdev

Bridegroom

Sulocana

PadmavatI

Daughter - in - law of

Sukhamayi
Rasavati

Mahendra Nath Sen.
Rev. Pratap Chandra

Mazumdar.
Prof. Krishna Bihari Sen

(brother of Keshav Chandra

Sen).

Haran Chandra Mazumdar.
Akshay Chandra Mazumdar.
Yadav Chandra Roy.
Behari Lai Chatterjee.
Gopal Chandra Sen.

Narendra Nath Sen.
Rakhal Chandra Sen.

The part of Sulocana was so splendidly done
that the people doubted whether the part was really
acted by a man or a woman, but HurJcara hoped
that female parts should be represented by persons
of that sex.

It is said that songs composed by Dwaraka Nath
Roy were set to tune by Babu Radhika Prasad
Dutt,* who composed the concert along with
Umesh Bhadra, Kshetra Bose, Panchanan Mitra,
Gadadhar Mitra, Rasik Mukherjee and Beni Madhav
Bose.

We have another social drama under the name

of Nava Vyndavan under the auspices of Keshav

Prabhakara, I4th May, 1859,

12

90

Chandra Sen, in the name of Chiranjiv Sarma
(Trailokya Nath Sanyal). Keshav Babu is said to
have taken the part of Pahafl Vava- This drama
has often been acted and the last performance, we saw,
was at the Victoria Institution in 1916, when Babu
Dines Chandra Das, now an important figure in
'Talkies', took the part of Avina3 and Mr. S. Sen
(son of Keshav Babu) that of Pahari Vava. Indian
Mirror also reports about an earlier performance
of the drama, in 1882. f The play must have
commenced long before that.

t Indian Mirror, lycA September, 1882,

Chapter IV

DINABANDHU ERA

AND

The East Bengal Stage

Next, we shall speak about a drama, which
brought about a great national awakening in the
province. The drama was the well known piece
Nlladarpana and the dramatist was no other person
than the great Dinabandhu Mitra, the period of
whose domineering influence as the dramatist, was
known as the Dinabandhu Era. The performance
of the Nlladarpana Natak was a memorable incident
in the history and development of the Bengali Stage.
The honour of frequently staging the drama and
thereby exposing to the public high-handedness of
the oppressive Indigo planters belonged, however, to
The "East Bengal Stage", Purvavanga-Rahgabhumi
of Dacca, which greatly helped the cause of national
agitation that shook then the province of Bengal
from one end to the other. It is, however, providen-
tial that the first national drama by Dinabandhu
(friend of the poor) was staged in the native district
of the great national leader De^abandhu, or the
friend of the country.

92

It was about the time of the Sepoy mutiny that
the oppression of the Indigo planters reached its
climax and in the words of Rev. James Long "a reign
of terror existed." An Indigo commission was
appointed by Sir J. P. Grant, Lt. Governor, in 1860
with Mr. W. 8. Seaton Karr as Secretary, to enquire
into the grievances of the ryots (Praja) and the great
patriotic editor Babu Harish Chandra Mukherjee
rendered invaluable services by writing columns after
columns every day about the inhuman oppression
of the planters. It was at this time, in September,
1860, Dinabandhu exhibited in graphic colours the
horrors of the planters' oppression over the helpless
ryots of Bengal, how the poor peasantry was being
cruelly ground every day under that heartless
system. His drama was, in fact, the Mirror, as its
name Darpana signifies, that held up the full reflec-
tion of the oppression and tortures practised by
the haughty and defiant planters. Dinabandhu did
not dare to subscribe his name as the author, but the
book read as being "written by a certain traveller
for the good of ryots, suffering from the bite of the
Cobra de capello in the form of the Indigo planter,"*

The author's experiences were only reflected in

* The first edition of the book shows that the date of
publication was 2nd 5vin, 1782 (Saka Era), printed
by Ramchandra Bhowmik at Bangala Bazar Dacca
Press.

03

the Mirror, as the greatest literary genius of that
time, Bankim Chandra, writes : f

"In consequence of Government work he had to
travel from Manipore to Ganjam and from Darjeeling
to seas- --he had to go from village to village- he
had extraordinary power of mixing with people
and he used to mix gladly with people of all classes.
He knew intimately low caste villagers' daughters
like Kshetramani, old village women like Aduri,
village ryots like Torap, Dewans of Indigo Factory,
Amins etc. In Niladarpana, author's experience
and sympathy combined in full measure and it was
the most powerful of all his dramas "

Indeed, Kshetramani of the drama was none but
Haramoni, a peasant girl of Nuddea in flesh and
blood, known as one of the beauties of Krishnagar,
who was carried off to the Kulchikatta factory, in
charge of Archibald Hills, the Chhota Saheb, where
the girl was kept in his bed-room till late hours of
the night, and the kind Magistrate of Amarnagore
in the drama was no other person than Mr. W. J.
Herschel, grandson of the great astronomer and
Act XI was nothing but the cruel summary
procedure, which Nabin Madhav, a character in the
drama, describes as a cruel Law and Revati,

t Vide, Biographical sketch of Dinabandhu by Bankim
Chandra Chatterjee.

94

another character, remarks that under this law, no
appeal lies against conviction. ("Pil Hoi na")*

Mr. R C. Dutt, I.C.S., C.I.E. also speaks about the
drama :f

"Dinabandhu, who was born in Chamberia village
in the Nuddea District, had ample opportunities
to note the doings of the planters and their
subordinates.

"At last, in 1860, he published his first dramatic
work Nlladarpana anonymously, bringing
together facts and incidents, which had come
up to his observation and weaving them into the
plot with the skill of a true artist."

Now Dacca, the place of birth of this famous
drama, gave quite a befitting representation of this
epoch-making play, and its modes and sentiments at
once took the country by storm. The Hurkara J
speaks both about the drama and its performance :

"Our native friends entertain themselves with
occasional theatrical performances and the
Nlladarpana was acted on one of these

occasions."

The effect of the drama and its performance was
electrifying and it roused a wave of indignation

* Indigo Commission Proceedings.

t 'The Literature of Bengal," Chapter XVII.

Dramatic writers,
t Hurkara^ I2th June, 1861, A correspondent of Dacca.

95

throughout the length and breadth of the country as
the following remarks of the famous scholar, preacher
and author, Pandit Shiv Nath Sastri, will show :

"When the celebrated patriot Harish Chandra
Mukherjee took up his pen in the Hindu Patriot,
the planters' Citadel of Sin trembled. When the
people's minds were thus excited, then was
published Dinabandhu Hitter's celebrated drama
Nlladarpana. We shall never forget the upheaval
which it caused in Bengali society. All of us,
children, old men and women, became almost mad.
It was the talk in every home and in every lodging
was its representation ; Bengal began to quake from
one end to the other, as if from the effects of seismic
shock. As the result of this great upheaval, the
oppression of the Indigo planters vanished for ever
from Bengal."*

Nor was the response confined to Bengal alone.
There were arrangements for the performance of the
drama in Bombay also. So says the Hindu
Patriot :

"We learn from the Times of India that the
Editor of the Bombay Samacar Darpan has com-
pleted arrangements to bring the Nlladarpana on the
stage of the Grant Road Theatre. Is there no editor

* Vide, Bengali essay National Awakening and also
The Indigo Disturbance National Literature compiled
by Babu Lalit Ch. Mitra,

96

of the Englishman type there to bring the libel-
treating Editor to his bearing ?"*

The above refers to the prosecution of Rev. J.
Long at the instance of Mr- Walter Brett, editor
Englishman, for libel, about which we ought to give
here a short account.

Several gentlemen of education and position
wanted to have the book translated into English for
the information of those, who were ignorant of the
Bengali language, but who should be acquainted with
the true state of national feeling on the subject and
Mr. Seaton Karr, Chief Secretary to the Govern-
ment of Bengal, struck with the thorough knowledge
of village life, which the drama displayed, gave sanc-
tion to the translation of it into English. Rev.
James Long had it done through Michael Madhu-
sudan Dutt of Sarmistha fame, in August 1861 and
500 copies of this translation were sent to the
Bengal office and out of these 202 copies were sent
to England under official seal, and only 14 copies
were circulated in India. Rev. J. Long wrote a very
able preface to that translation and published it in
his own name.

The landowners and the Commercial Associa-
tion backed the Indigo "planters and Mr. Walter
Brett, then Editor of the Englishman, who was all
along with the Editor of the Hurkara "described in

* Hindu Patriot, $th Sept., 1861,

97

preface to the drama as having sold themselves for
Rs. 1000/- like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus
to the Roman Pontius Pilate for a few pieces of silver
coins," at first brought a libel action against the
printer Mr. C. H. Manual, who was fined Rs. 10/- by
the Supreme Court of Calcutta for his having admitted
liability. Then a libel suit was brought against Rev.
Long himself. The case was heard at the Criminal
Sessions of the Calcutta High Court, presided over
by Sir Mordaunt Wells on the 19th July, 186 1*
Mr. Long admitted his connection with the work and
presented a long statement in justification of his
sympathy with the movement, describing therein how
the drama was a genuine expression of the popular
feeling and the effect of indigo-planting was as
ruinous as the drama represented. The Judge,
however, went out of his way to denounce both Mr.
Long and the work, describing the latter as foul and
disgusting libel. From the following instance quoted
in the HurJcara from a passage of Nlladarpana, it
is curious how he interpreted the facts :

There is a conversation between Daraga and
Zamadar where the former asks :

"Did not the Magistrate say that he will come
here this day ?"

Messrs. Paterson and Cowie appeared for the prosecu-
tion, and Messrs. Eglionton and Mewmarch for the
defence.

13

98

Zamadar : No, Sir, he had four days more to
come. At Sachinagore on Saturday they have a
Champagne party and ladies' dance. Mr- Wood
can never dance with any other but our Saheb, and
I saw that, when I was a bearer. Mrs. Wood is
very kind, through the influence of the latter, she got
me the zamadary of the Jail.

The Judge in his charge directed the jury about
the passage that it tended to make the insinuation
against the whole body of Indigo-planters that they
did by such means exercise an undue influence over
the Magistrates of the districts.* Mr. Long repudiat-
ed the suggestion that it was too far-fetched to draw
such an inference and that as a missionary his
conduct was dictated by his religion and conscience
which, he said, convicted him of no moral offence or
of any offence deserving the language used in his
Lordship's charge to the jury. The Judge yet

* A correspondent of the Hindu Patriot wrote : "Are
these Magistrates fit men to govern we millions,
when they can not resist the temptation of dining
with the planters, and talking with their wives and
dancing with them/'

Selections from the Records of Bengal Government No.
III. Page 792. The Hakims surrounded by the
planters sit along witn them while deciding cases
and the court is crowded with Amlahs and the
Mokhters of the planters.

99

sentenced him to one month's simple imprisonment
and to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/-

Immediately after the sentence was passed, Mr-
Long was heard to say "What I have done now, I
will do again." The fine was immediately paid by
Babu Kali Prasanna Sinha of Mahabharala and
Vidyotsahinl fame, though many others were quite
eager to do the same.

The above persecution, as the Hindu Patriot*
observed, could only be compared with the judicial
murder of Nandakumar, more so in the arbitrariness
of the Bench and Mr. Justice Wells, a true incar-
nation of arrogant, haughty and Bengali-hating
Englishman has been deservedly called Impey of the
Nineteenth Century.

The incarceration of this revered and benevolent
Christian gentleman, a courageous and a loyal
servant of the Church, evoked so much public sym-
pathy that the Hindu community under the leader-
ship of Rajah Radhakanta Dev held a meeting at
his Natmandir on the 26th August, 1861, passed a
resolution for the recall of that Judge and sent it to
His Excellency the Viceroy, protesting against the
indiscriminate attacks made by the judge on the
character of the nation as a whole, to which a reply
was communicated to Babu Jatindra Mohan Tagore
(afterwards Maharajah), then the Honorary Secretary

Aug. 6, 1861, Hindu Patriot.

100

to the British Indian Association having stated that
though judicial officers should be careful that their
denunciations of crime might not be interpreted into
hasty imputations against a whole people or commu-
nity, but in the present case such imputations were
not intended.

This prosecution was the first political case of its
kind in India and the first national drama was the
subject of the indictment.

Popular feeling of indignation was exceptionally
strong and its expressions were frequent in rhymes
and songs. One of such songs ran as follows :

Harish is prematurely cut off ; Long has been
clapped into prison, and the Indigo monkies are
bringing ruin upon the golden land of Bengal.

"Asamaye Haris malo
Longer hcdlo karagar,
Nllbandare sonar Bahgla,
Kallo bhai charkhar"

Mr. Long's publication was not the only one
translation but we hear of other translations of the
drama, called by Mr. F. H. Skrine, as a sort of
Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the Hindu Patriot* men-
tions one as follows :

"The London Special of the Hurkara states that
Messrs. Simkim Marshall and Co., have published

* Hindu Patriot, 26th May, 1862.

101

the Niladaiyana in London. Pity, the justice of Sir
Mordaunt Wells cannot reach these enterprising
publishers."

The drama was, also, as Bankim Chandra writes,
translated into other languages of Europe.

The Calcutta Review, however, gave an unjust
estimate of the drama. It gives it "a very low place
as a work of art/' The importance, says the writer
in it, "was political and not literary, and as literature
rather than politics is our present theme, we shall not
discuss it at great length. 5 '* We do not agree with
this remark but consider along with Bankim Chandra
that it was excellent as a piece of dramatic art too.

Niladarpana was followed by Sadhavar Ekadasi,
Navin Tapasvini, Kamalc Kaminl, Ble Pagla
Buro and Jamai Barik\~ and in realism and action
Dinabandhu surpassed even Madhusudan. The
rapid passing of the age from Ramnarain to Madhu-
sudan and from Madhu to Dinabandhu is really an
interesting development and our readers should care-
fully notice this.

* Calcutta Review, Vol. 52, 1871.
t We shall deal with these later on.

Chapter V.

THREE ARISTOCRATIC THEATRES
L The Pathuriaghata Theatre.

The Pathuriaghata Theatre was started in 1865
by Maharaja Sir (then Babu) Jatindra Mohan
Tagore at his palace in Pathuriaghata, It was not
a spacious house, but a beautifully got up one. The
scenes were singularly well painted under the super-
vision of Girish Chandra Chatterjee, the famous oil
painter of Postha at Pathuriaghata, specially the
drop-scene, which was 'ablaze with aloes and water-
lilies and was entirely oriental/*

Jatindramohan secured the magnificent orchestra
of the Belgachhia Theatre and amongst others,
the assistance of the well known actors of the
time, the co-operation of even Keshav and Priya-
nath not being excepted. With this magni-
ficent orchestra and the distinguished corps of the
Belgachhia Theatre, Jatindramohan was equally
successful in entertaining his numerous friends,
European and Indian, for over 25 years and achiev-

* Calcutta Review, 1837. Kisori Chand Mitter's
reminiscences.

103

ing a reputation as high as what had been attained
by its prototype, the Belgachhia. Indeed, it left a
lasting mark in the annals of our drama.*

Jatindramohan had published a new edition of
Vidyasundar in 1858, with vulgar portions purged
off and additions made suiting the occasion. A
second edition of this was made in 1865 and with
this dramatic version of his own, he opened the
Theatre on the 6th January, 1866.

Before this, there was a performance of the
Bengali translation of Kalidasa's Malavlkagnl-
mitra in 1859 in Ishan Babu's house under the
direction of Babu (Sir) Saurindramohan Tagore, but
it was the first as well as the last drama represented
there.f The Stage as Ardhendusekhar Mustafi
says, "was the Nautch-Hall, attached to the west
portion of Saurindramohan's residence, the house
belonging to the estate of Rajendranath Tagore,
father-in-law of Ishan Babu."

Saurindramohan once appeared in the role of
Kancukl and Mohendra Mukherjee acted the part of
Vidusaka.

* Gaurdas Bysatfs Reminiscences.

t Jatindra Mohan Tagore's letter to Madhusudan
in 1863, Kisori Chand Mitra's article in Calcutta
Review, 1873, Modern drama, Ardhendu Sekhar
Mustafi's reminiscences.

Puratan Prasahga } second series, pp. 154-56.

104

It is said that on the night of performance,
Saurindra Mohan, after being dressed, came running
on the stage and drew attention of the Maharaja,
who appeared as king, addressing the latter." Your
Majesty, come to the harem at once. Chota Rani
(the younger queen) has fainted at the sight of a blue
monkey (nil bandar). The above at once excited
a roar of laughter amongst the audience and re-
moved Saurindra-mohan's nervousness, who was
comparatively green on the stage. The translation
was made by Pandit Ramnarain with the help of
Saurindramohan.

But to return to Vidyasundar. When the stage
was about to be constructed in the Maharaja's house,
the stage in Ishan Babu's house was dismantled and
several things of that were used in the present stage,
the rest being done at the expense of the Maharaja*.

Vidyasundar, staged on 6th January 1866, was
repeated nine or ten times in continuous succession
and the cast was distributed as follows :
Raja Vir Sing ... Radha Prasad Basak (Simla.)

Mantri ... (Hari Mohan Karmakar )

Jorasanko.
Ganga Bhat ... Girish Chandra Chatter jee of

Pathuriaghata well known

painter.
Sundar ... Mahendra Nath Mukherjee

(Darjipara.)

* Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi's Reminiscences.

105

Dhumaketu, Kotal ... Hari Charan Banerjee.

Vidya ... Madan Mohan Barman.

(Hindusthani, afterwards in
the National Theatre.)

Hiramalin! ... Krishna Dhan Banerjee (Hu-

... galkuria).

Maids to the princess . . . Sulocana, Sasthidas Mukherjee

(Khardah), Chapala, Jadunath
Ghose, Bimala (friend of
Chapala), Narain Ch. Basak
(Simla).

Pratiharl . . . Umanath Chatter] ee.

Praharl ... Brajadurlabh Dutt (Aheree-

tola).

The stage-rehearsal had been held on the 30th
December, 1865, before the Raja of Rewa, who had
come to Calcutta for an interview with Lord Law-
rence, the Viceroy of India and was a guest to
Jatindra Mohan in his Emerald Bower. None but
the distinguished guest with his retinue and the
members of the host's family were present on the
occasion of the first performance. It is said that the
Raja was so highly pleased with the play that when
it was over, he caused two packages of Kashmere
shawls and a bag of money to be brought
and offered for distribution to the actors. But
it was courteously explained by Jatindra Mohan
that as amateurs they could not accept the
presents, but were all the same thankful to the

14

106

Raja* for the kind offer, indeed. Such was the
enthusiasm of the people for Pathuriaghata palace
plays, that three or four days before the per-
formance, all the tickets issued as complimentary
cards to the guests were exhausted.

Ardhendu Shekhar Mustafi, the great artist of
the National Theatre of the subsequent time speaks
of the rehearsals, thus :

"I used to go to the rehearsals, which were held
almost every night. Babu Ghanashyam Bose of
Garanhatta was the manager f and Keshav Chandra
Ganguly of Gosainpara the master- -Brajadurlabh's
and Girish Babu's performance was considered to
be very pleasing and faultless. Radhaprasad Babu
was no inferior to them but all the same Brajadurlabh
Babu was in my opinion the best of the lot. His
superior talents were noticeable even in the insigni-
ficant part of a watcher. At the time of inflicting
punishment on Malini, the speech and movements
and the manner of dealing her with Cuffs appeared
to be very interesting."

As to how Vidyasundar was appreciated by the

* Michael's Biography, Page 651. The Prabhakar^
Jan. 3, 1866 corroborates the presence of the Raja
of Rewa.

t Prabhakar of 1 3th Feb. 1866, calls him Honorary
Secretary.

107

educated public will appear from the following
review of the Bengalee, 13th January, 1866 :

"The impersonation of the characters was almost
faultless. The part of Hira was well sustained.
She was a pretty woman herself, past maturity,
but upon whom age had not yet quite told so
as to make her appear less charming. She was
an agreeable talker, sly and coquettish but not
innately corrupt or vicious. Indeed, no sooner
she saw Sundar, she was herself smitten by his
person and his address. But the warmer
sentiment melted away as soon as she learnt
that the person upon whom Sundar had set his
heart was her own sweet mistress : She was
too willing to forward his views but by fair and
honorable means. The young lovers, however,
were for the romance of secret love and they
accordingly kept Hira carefully out of the way-
She was thus innocent of all their intrigues and
when she was brought to grief as one privy
to the whole affair, she cursed herself for
having ever given shelter to such an adventurer.

The part of Vidya was capitally done. It was
essentially feminine. Her love was of her a
thing not apart. It was her whole existence.
She was nothing if not lovely. Even in her
grief, her eyes swollen with tears, when the sad
news that Sundar had been caught and sentenc-
ed to die was broken to her, she sank under its
weight without being boisterous, t in a manner
that made her look more interesting and lovely
than even when she was happy. The songs

108

which poured fourth under an effort to relieve
herself were truly pathetic, though we must say
that they somewhat interfered with the effect
produced by her capital acting.

The character of Sundar was rather inelegant and
rough. Ganga Bhat and the Rajah's Mantri
acquitted themselves so well that we had
nothing left to wish for. The Rajah was equal-
ly a successful character. But the two cham-
ber maids of Vidya were altogether deficient.
There were nothing feminine about them. Their
dress was ill chosen, which heightened the
slovenliness of their appearance.

The Vidyasundar Natak was followed by a very
laughable farce, which added much to the en-
tertainment of the evening. The whole burthen
of the satire fell upon the devoted head of a
stupid old Munsiff, who already declined in the
vale of years, had the variety to offer himself to
a neighbour's wife as a lady's man.

The scenes> both in the Natak and in the farce,* were
well painted and some were admirably suited
to the occasion. We noticed particularly the
humble but elegant cottage of Hira, which per-
haps was taken from some existing model. The
Orchestra was excellent and shewed consider-
able improvement upon those we had heard
before.

When we left we only wished that the female
characters could be represented by women ; for

Yeman Karma Teman PhaL

109

all the time we were painfully alive to the
demoralizing tendency of boys and young men
throwing themselves into the attitude, the
gestures, motions and even the voluptuousness
of women. But as under existing circumstances
of native society, it is not possible to have any
but courtezans to join the Corps Dramatique,
we must choose the lesser of the two evils."*

The performances and rehearsals of Vidyar
sundar created a taste for stage in the minds of the
illustrious actor Ardhendu Sekhar, who became
afterwards one of the most prominent figures on
the Bengali Stage.

The next farce Bujhle Kina, "Do you under-
stand", first performed in December 1866, was also
a great success and elicited frequent applause and
loud roars of laughter from the audiance.f

Mafatlmadhav, translated by Pandit Ramnarain
Tarkaratna from Bhavabhuti's drama of the name,
was performed in 1869. In 1870, two farces
Ubhaya Sankata, or the horns of a dilemma and
Caksurdana, (opening of eyes) both from the pen of
Jatindra Mohan gave sufficient mirth to the specta-

* The Bengalee I3th January, 1866.

f "The Bengalee" Dec. 22, 1866.

Mahendranath Vidyanidhi says, "It was in 1867, 3ist
September." As it was staged several times, we
cannot ascertain with accuracy when was it first
staged. Here it is not very material too,

no

tors. In the former, the evils of poligamy were
described and the other roused the sense of a pro-
fligate young man.

The Patrika noticed the usefulness of these ins-
tructive pieces observing that one performance
produces such good in society as one hundred
speeches cannot do*

Indeed, the 'farces' depicted the manners and
customs of the age. Although they attacked with
merciless severity the imperfections and ludicrous
infirmities of the modern age, they did not render the
same, our objects of dislike, nor those excited disgusif

Of the artists, Mahendranath Mukherjee's
Makaranda in Malatimadhav was excellent as his
Vidusaka in Malavtkagnimitra. His performance
was so very amusing that on one occasion, Lord
Northbrook, who now and then came to witness the
performance called him to his presence. Mahendra
Babu bowed down to him and addressed the Viceroy
as "Sir", instead of "Your Excellency", or "My Lord",
and for this he was afterwards reprimanded by the
Maharaja brothers, but Mahendra Babu replied in
his usual amusing manner, "otherwise, why should I
be only a clerk in Gillander's House ?"J

* Amrita Bazar Patrika^ loth March, 1870.

t Kisori Chand Mitra. onJHindu drama, Calcutta Review,

1873. Vol. 57.
$ Mahendra Babu's reminiscences in Puratan Prasanga*

Ill

To the disappointment of all, no piece was acted
in 1871, but early in 1872, on the 13th January, the
stage re-opened with Rukminlharan followed by
the farce, Ubhayasahkaia.

Rasaviskarvrndak was a later production in
1881. Coming from the pen of Raja Saurindra
Mohan Tagore, it represented the nine Rasas (emo-
tions) of Kavya (poetry), Hasya (laughter), Vilapa
(lamentation) etc., as described in Natydsastra. The
incidents were taken from the Ramayana and
Mahabharata e. g. Karunrasa was represented by
Laksmana's leaving Sita in the forests and Sita's
lamentation, Hasy by Kalanemi's Lankabhaga, Bhay
Rasa ( terrific ) by the presence of Nrsimha etc.

It was composed for exhibiting at the Emerald
Bower on the occasion of the College Reunion, held
on 4th February, 1881, but the hall, where the stage
was built, was too insufficient for the large audiance
that assembled there and the performance had to be
stopped. Then the performance was enacted at the
stage of the Pathuriaghata Palace on the 12th
February, 1881.

Some time after, when their Excellencies visited
the palace on invitation, some scenes were shown to
them for their entertainment * and the scene
"Vangavalakartrk Briteniya Arati" was also shown

* The statement of Mahendranath Vidyanidhl, as correct-
ed by Rai Bahadur Baikuntanath Bose,

112

when the subjects of Her Majesty the Chinese,
Mags, Mussalman, Hindu, Christian were all
gathered together.

Music at The Pathuriaghata Theatre.

Music is a principal feature of dramatic perform-
ance and Pathuriaghata did not lack superiority in
point of this.

We have seen that the Orchestra of Belgachhia,
introduced at the suggestion of Jatindra Mohan, was
the first concert in a Bengali Theatre and was a
thing of great attraction. After the closing of that
Theatre, not only was this secured for Pathuriaghata,
but supplemented further by the recent innovations
of his brother Saurindra Mohan, and assisted by the
co-operation of the famous musician, Kshetramohan
Gosain, author of Sahgltasar and Svaralipi and
Krishnadhan Banerjee, author of Setarsiksa, it
was a thing of great mirth and masterly
art Gosain was no doubt a musician of superior
order, but Raja Saurindra Mohan must be credited
with being the most conspicuous figure who
revived Hindu Music on a scientific basis and there
was no second to him, both in vocal and instrumental
music. He was recognized for his musical talents
throughout the world and the Universities of Oxford
and Philadelphia conferred titles of Doctor of Music
on him- He started a school Bengal Academy of
Music, in 1881 and the books of Kshetramohan

113

and Kali Prasanna Banerjee also contained notations
introduced by him. Hindu Music, thus revived by
the Rajah, thoroughly demonstrated its superiority
over European music and was made an accom-
paniment of the performance of Malatlmadhava,
where the present notation of Hindu Music was for
the first time introduced.*

Closely connected, as it is, with our subject, the
description of Hindu instrumental music given by
Babu Kisori Chand Mitra in the last pages of Hindu
Dramaf as to the ancientness of I. Stringed instru-
ments ( Vina, Setar, Tambura), II Pulsatile Instru-
ments (Dholoka, Khol, Dhole, Nagara, Baya, Tabala),
III Percussion Instruments (Mandira, Kartal, Kansi,
Nupur) and IV Wind instruments (Mohan Bani,
Sankha) ought to interest our readers.

On the 25th February, 1873, Lord Northbrooke,
who was present at one of the performances of
Rukmimharana and Ubhayasankata along with the
Hon'ble Miss Baring, the Marquis of Stafford, His
Honour the Lieutenant Governor, several members
of the Executive and Legislative Councils, Secretaries
to Government, and other Indian notabilities, was
greatly pleased with the Orchestra and on the closing
of the drama examined the different instruments and

* Vide : also The Hindu Patriot, Jan. 15, 1872.
t Modern Hindu Drama^ CaL Review, 1873,

15

114

expressed himself highly delighted with what he saw
and heard. In fact, he carried away a very good
opinion of Indian music.

Kaja Saurindra Mohan Tagore had prepared an
English translation of the airs played by the
Orchestra, which was put in the hands of the Euro-
pean guests to help them in understanding the
music.

That Lord and Lady Bipon also showed much
interest in the Pathuriaghata Orchestra, we get
from the reminiscences of Babu Gaurdas Bysak and
the note attached to it by Michael's biographer
Jogindranath* :

"Special interest for the Belgachhia concert was
evinced by Her Excellency the Lady Ripon. She
used to scrutinize every instrument and the manner
in which each was played upon. She, more than
once, visited the Pathuriaghata. It was at her special
request that the Maharaja deputed Belgachhia
Orchestra Company, to entertain their Royal High-
nesses, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, who
greatly appreciated the music. The Duke remarked
that some of the airs were particularly delightful."

Thus with the national sentiments, enterprise,
public spirit and enlightened liberality f of Maharaja

* Parisista, page 651, third edition,
t A. B. Palrika } March 10, 1870, u no money was
spared for scenes and dress,"

Sir Jatindra Mohan Tagore and the artistic
superiority of his worthy brother Saurindra Mohan,
the Pathuriaghata Theatre rose to the rank of a
National Institution in Bengal/ 1 " It achieved a
success, which considering the paucity of dramatic
talent, was simply wondered at.

II. THE JORASANKO THEATRE

The contributions of the Jorasanko Thakurbari
are also no less remarkable to the development of
the Bengali stage- No doubt, the theatre started by
the nephews and sons of Maharshi Devendra Nath
was short-lived but their endeavours to resuscitate
our Hindu Drama should be remembered with
gratitude. The Tagore family is one of geniuses of
Bengal and it has continually kept up histrionic
art in full vigour for more than a century. We
have seen the Prince Dwarkanath having patronised
the Chowringhee and Sansouci theatres and at one
time the Chowringhee theatre would have closed its
doors permanently but for his large-hearted contri-
bution. In the building fund of the Sansouci also
he headed the list of donors, t

Dwarkanath's son Babu Girindra Nath wrote a
drama Vavuvilasl which was acted in the Tagore
House.

We have heard of another of his sons

* Hindu Patriot, Jan. 15, 1872.

t Pages 256, 269, 277, My Indian Stage> Vol* L

116

Nagendra Nath's attempt of starting Theatre.* Then
again of the next generation, which we shall here
describe. Next to that, too, we find that Jyotirindra
Nath was not only a brilliant musician but also a
dramatist of no mean order. Purovikram, Asrumatl
and Sarqjim staged afterwards at the Great National
Theatre and the Bengal Theatre were soul-stirring
national dramas of the time. Then again, Babu
Abanindra Nath is an artist of rare merit, and
last though not the least, the world-renowned Poet
Rabindra Nath has been occasionally seen on the
stage till the other day besides producing his well-
known dramas Raja Rani, Visarjan, Acal-
ayatan, Tapatl, Cirakumarsabha, Citrangada etc.

The following geneological table may be of some
interest to our readers :

Dwarkanath Badhaaath

ath

1 1

Devendranath G

1. Dwijendra,
2. Satyendra, Q a ,
3. Hemendra,
4. Jyotirindra,
5. Babiiidra.

2 | 3 Srin
irindranath Nagendranath

1 1
len Gunen Daughter
| m Jagadish
1 Gaganendra, Ganguly
2 Bamarendra,
3 Abanindra.

Daughter
m. Nilkamal
Mukherjee.

Says the National Paper > nth. Dec. 1872: "The
first project was by the late Hon'ble Prasanna
Kumar Tagore. The next by Nabin Chandra
Bose....The third attempt of the kind was made
by the late Babu Nagendra Nath Tagore. He
was very successful in his attempt..."

11?

The Jorasanko Theatre was organised by the
members of the Tagore family and the performers
were also themselves and their friends. Pandit
Mahendra Nath Vidyanidhi to the best help of the
future historian collected the reminiscences of persons
associated with this theatre or those who were
present there. We shall narrate here the facts
common to the reminiscences of Babu Nil Kamal
Mukherjee, Akshay Kumar Mazumdar, Ardhendu
Sekhar Mustafi and Jyotirindra Nath Tagore. Nil
Kamal was closely associated with this theatre and
used to keep a diaiy and put into it incidents of this
theatre and Akshay Kumar was the principal
actor, being well known as Comic and was in charge
of rehearsals.

The youngsters Jyotiiindranath, Gunendranath
and others at the beginning used to rehearse poems
and select passages of dramas like J&rsnafaiman,
Eke-i-ld-vale Sabliyata and Vidhavaviva/ia Natak,
in the last of which Krishna Behari Sen acted in the
role of Padma. These were confined only to the
members of the family,* and considered by the
elder members of the house as "Child's Play/'
On an occasion when a toy-stage was being
built in one of the rooms, Ganendranath finding
that it was done at the instance of his brother
Gunendra, accosted him thus :

* Reminiscences of Jyotirindranath Tagore.

118

"What's the good in spending money over a
shadowy thing ? If you want a stage, do it in a
proper way and after full deliberation."

Then a committee was formed with Ganendra-
nath, Nilkamal Mukherjee, Jajnes Prakas Ganguly,
Srinath Tagore and Devendranath's eldest son
Dwijendranath. As however no suitable drama was
available, the projectors advertised in the Indian
Daily News of 22nd January, 1865, for well written
dramas depicting the evils of poligamy and announc-
ed a prize of Rs. 200.

Ramnarain responded to the call and obtained
the prize by writing his Navanatak, which was
approved by Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar
and Babu Raj Krishna Banerjee.*

The drama was then put on boards and was
staged on 5th January, 1867 and repeated eight times
and the last having on the 23rd Feb. 1867. The
stage was built in the big hall in the first floor and
scenes were regularly painted.

* Other dramas were also advertised on i5th Feb. 1865,
Indian Daily News.

I. The Hindu Females their condition and helrx"

lessness. Prize Rs. 2oo/-. Time ist Feb.

II. The Village Reminders Period ist Feb. 1866,

Prize Rs. ioo/-. Time ist Feb.

The dramas are to be written in Bengali and have to
be dedicated to the Jorasanko Theatre.

119

The characters were represented by elderly
people" 1 ' and cast as follows :

MALES

Gave3 Vavu (village Zeminder) Akshay Kumar Mazum-

dar.
Sudhir ... Sarada Prasad Mukher-

Vidharmavagi^a ... Ananda Chandra Bhatta-

charjee.

Cittatos (flatterer) ... Jadunath Mukherjee,

(Maharshi's son-in-law).

Neighbour (of the village) ... Sailendra Nath Tagore.

Neighbour (of the town) ... Nil Kamal Mukherjee.

(Girindra Nath's son-in-
law.)

Dambhacarya (Dalapati) ... Bhuvan Mohan Chatter-

jec.

Kautuk (Bachelor neighbour) Matilal Chakravarty.

Subodh (Gave3 Babu's

eldest son) ... Benode Lai Ganguly.

(Amritalal's elder brother,
Jyotirindranath's brother-
in-law).

Madho (servant) ... Sailendranath Tagore.

FEMALES

Savitri (1st wife of Gave3) ... Sarada Prasad Ganguly.

(Maharshi's son-in-law).

Candralekha ( 2nd wife of

Gave3 ... Amrita Lai Ganguly,

(Jyotirindranath's
brother-in-law).

* Jyotirindranath's Reminiscences,

120

Amala (Neighbour) ... Thaka Bhusan Ganguly.

Kamala ... Dinanath Ganguly.

Vimala ... Radhabinode Chatterjee.

Capala ... Hem Chandra Banerjee.

Nata ... Nil Kamal Mukherjee.

Nati ... Jyotirindranath Tagore.

The characters were mostly the members of the
family.

Kisorichand Mitra writes of the Jorasanko
Theatre :

"Akshay Babu acted in the role of the husband
Gave and the misery of the domestic life was vividly
realized. In truth, the acting* was infinitely better
than the writing of the play. Not only Gaves Babu
but almost all the other actors acquitted themselves
most creditably. It is a thousand pities that the
untimely demise of Babu Ganendra Nath Tagore
proved a death-blow to the Jorasanko Theatre."

Gaurdas Babu also says :
"The representations which they gave from time
to time in their house and in which they themselves

* So says Jyotirindranath Yakhan GaveS 1 Vavur chota
ginni o vada ginni Gave& vavur ek ek{;a pa dakhal
kariya tail mardan karivar janya fnaf;ani karita,
at valita eta amar pa, tui amar patay kena tail
makhchis, ityadi, takhan Gave,4 vavur avastha o
mukhabhangi dekhiya dar^akera keval hasiyii gada-
gadi ditei vaki rakhita.

Indeed, Akshay Kumar was a jestor of no less distinction
than Babu Keshav Chandra Ganguly.

121

took the part of actors could not be surpassed In
respect of the excellence of acting, the exquisiteness
of music and the sweetness of the songs."

"There was a magnificent concernt party with
amateur and paid musicians, Bishnu Charan
Chatterjee the celebrated singer of the Brahma
Samaj, leading the tune and Jyotirindra Nath
playing on the Harmonium. The concert was
excellent. It had no borrowed airs and was quite
in keeping with national taste."*

Everybody was glad at this time to notice the
return of old days of friendship and union amongst
Europeans and Indians. There was at that time a
good number of social gatherings, where both the
classes united very freely and cordially, the latest
one of that period was held at the house of
Babu Ganendra Nath Tagore on the occasion of
the performance of the Navanatak. Many respec-
table European and Indian gentlemen were present.
Babu Jnanendra Mohan Tagore Barrister-at-Law

The National Paper. Jan 9, 1867. About acting also,
the Paper says :

' l Beginning with the graceful bow of the Naji, the
representation of every succeeding character
elicited loud shouts of applause from all sides,
and rendered the whole scene an object of
peculiar amusement to the audience''.

122

entertained the whole party with lively conver-
sation, t

Navamtak was followed by Manomayl and
Allek Vavu, but that the Jorasanko Natya Samaj
was short lived and came to a close in 1867, is also
mentioned in the preface of a drama Hindu Mahila
Nafakj whose author Babu Bepin Mohon Sen Gupta
of Shamra got a prize of Rs. 200 in 1868 in res-
ponse to the advertisement for the best drama for
Hindu Females.

We close this chapter with a few words as to
how the Tagores showed great honour to a dramatist
for writing a Bengali drama. Jyotirindra Nath said :

"A very important function celebrated the prize-
giving ceremony. It was a memorable day. All
the elite of the town was present and the amount of
Rs. 500 was put in heaps in a silver plate. The
drama was read, met with universal applause and
the money was paid to Ramnarain by the president
of the meeting, the late Babu Peari Chand Mitter,
author of Alaler Gharer DulaV\

Such patronage and appreciation was worthy of
the Jorasanko Tagore House, which is still very
famous for art, poetry and culture.

I The National Paper, Feb., 6, 1867,

123
VALMIKIPRATIBHA

Though of a later date, we cannot but mention
an important drama from the pen of Rabindra
Nath. It was the well known piece Valrnikipratibha
by Rabindra Nath and we cannot do greater justice
to it than quote from the reminiscences of late Babu
Amritalal Bose :

short, sweet piece was performed at the
Jorasanko House in 1880, before a congregation of
literary celebrities. Rabi Babu was in his teens, when
he wrote this play. Babus Akshay Kumar Sarkar
and Indra Nath Banerjee returned from Jorasanko
at the National Theatre at Beadon Street, when my
farce Tilatarpan was being first staged and gave us a
brilliant account of the play, predicting a great future
for the boy-poet and composer."

Ill THE SOBHA BAZAR PRIVATE
THEATRICAL SOCIETY

In 1864, an association for dramatic perform-
ances was formed with Babu Chandra Kali Ghose as
president, Umesh Chandra Mitra as Secretary and
members of the Raj family as members, and under
the auspices of this, Is this Civilisation ( Eke-i-ki*
vale Sabhyata) was staged on the 4th and 29th July,
1865, in the house of Raja Devi Krishna Deb at
1/5, 2/6 Raja Nava Kissen Street, North Calcutta.

124

The performance, as the Hindu Patriot remark-
ed, was exceedingly creditable to the young amateurs ;
scenes were appropriate and well done ; music, though
not keeping with high merits of acting, was not
inferior, dancing varied and spirited and indeed one
of the principal attractions of the performance, but
the paper objected to the representation of this farce
on the stage of a family theatre.*

The characters, all of which sustained their parts
admirably and equally well, were cast as follows :

Kali Vavu ... Kumar Upendra Krishna Dev

Nava Vavu ... Mani Mohan Sarkar.

Cooly and Kamala ... Kumar Uday Krishna.

Karta, Durmukh and

Mantri ... Peari Baishnav.

Gardener ... Preo Madhav Bose Mullick.

Harakamini ... Kumar Brajendra Krishna.

Prasannamayi ... Kumar Amarendra Krishna.

Nrityakali and Vavu ... Gopal Chandra Rakshit.

Krsnalcuman Naiak was next taken up and
staged in the same year. Babu Mahendra Nath

* Although the farce is undoubtedly one of the happi-
est productions of the fertile brain of the gifted
poet and is a lifelike picture of Young Bengal, full
of sallies of wit and humour and written in grace-
ful and familiar Bengali, but the poet has neces*
sarily depicted habits and practices, which are
equally shocking to good taste and morals.

The Hindu Patriot, $istjuly % 2^65,

125

Vidyanidhi is definite on the point, although we
have no newspaper report in corroboration. Very
likely, it was confined to a select few and not a public
one. The theatre was then abruptly closed.

It is also worthy of note that Maharaja Jatindra
Mohan Tagore was arranging rehearsals of Knnar
kumari in his palace, but his revered mother not
consenting to a tragedy being acted in the house,
the idea was given up there.

Eighteen months after, Krsnakumarl was again
acted under the direction of a new committee with
Babu Kali Prasanna Singh as the President,
Rajendra Nath Banerjee vice-President and Babu
Barada Kanta Mitra, a son-in-law of the Raj family
as Secretary and Pyari Mohan Das (Peari Vaishnav),
Mani Mohan Sarkar, author, and members of the
Raj family as members of the Executive Committee.

The first public performance after the Theatre
was revived, was held on February 8, 1867. The
Hindu Patriot (llth February 1867) gives a des-
cription of this in very flattering terms :

THE SOBHABAZAR THEATRE.

Rrmakumari is the best and indeed the only
original drama in the Bengali language.
Familiar with the richest treasures of the
literature of Europe and India, our author has
enriched his mother tongue with a production,
which would have comparison with the first

126

class dramas of the ancient and modern
classics.

The scenes of Krsnakumarl are laid in that
region of Indian Chivalry, which has been the
theme of many a song and tale, we mean the

Rajputana States The reader must have

seen that it requires no mean histrionic talent
to reproduce the thrilling events on the stage
with immense effect. We must, therefore, make
every allowance for the shortcomings of the
amateurs of the Sobhabazar Theatre, who with-
out the advantage of an experienced director
certainly did as much as could be fairly
expected from them.

The first three acts lacked life and animation but as
the plot thickened and the interest of the
audience increased, the actors rose to the level
of cries. The death scene was very affecting.
It drew tears from many eyes. All the charac-
ters in the 1st Act were more or less equal to
the occasion and the general effect was one of
decided success. There are some very promis-
ing amateurs in this corps such as the young
men, who personated the characters of Dhanadas,
Madanika, Bhim Singh, Balendra and Satya
Das and if they persevere, we have no doubt,
they will in time prove very successful actors.
The scenes were well painted and some of
them were indeed exquisitely done. We parti-
cularly liked the garden scene. The rolling
of the thunder was also well imitated.

As for the concert, great pains seemed to have

127

been taken for it. The amateurs did not follow
the beaten track of the Belgachhia and
Pathuriaghata Theatres. Their tunes, too, we
must confess, improved as the plot thickened.
We wish that they would lay less stress on the
Dholak which, to our ear, gave too much of
Akrai character to the music.

Pandit Mahendra Nath Vidyanidhi not only
collected facts from contemporaneous persons, but
also quoted the above report of the Hindu Patriot
verbatim. As such, with all sources to distinguish
facts from fiction, his account possesses great value
as to their authenticity.

The cast was as follows :
MALES

Bhim Singh, Rana of Udaypur Babu Bihari Lai Chatter-

jee*.
Balendra Singh (Raja's brother) Preomadhav Bose

Mullick of Hogalkuria.

Satya Das ... Kumar Ananda Krishna.

Jagat Singh ... Upendra Krishna.

Narayan Missir ( Jaypur Maha-

raj) ... Beni Madhab Ghosh.

Dhana Das ... Mani Mohan Sarkar.

Sutradhar ... Kshetra Mohan Bose.

FEMALES

KfSnakumari ... Kumar Brajendra

Krishna.

Babu Kali Prasanna Singh was to have played the
part but very much engrossed in private affairs,
he could not do that,

128

Ahalya Bai (Raja's daughter) Son of Raja Narendra

Krishna, Kumar Amar-
endra Krishna.

Tapasvini ... Uday Krishna Dutta.

Vilasavati (mistress to Maha-
raja) ... Haralal Sen of Aheritola.
Madanika ... Jivan Krishna Dev.
Do. First attendant

(Sahachari) Hiralal Sen.
2nd ... Nakul Chandra

Mukherjee.

Manimohan Sarkar was to have played the part
of Madanika, but he took the part of Dhanadas as
Babu Peari Mohan Das, to whom the selection fell
before, could not act before, and his part of
Madanika was played by Babu Jivan Krishna Dev.
Thus was Jivan Babu termed Disbanded Madanika
Kali Avatar.* He, on a later occasion, played the
part of Kali in Padmabatl.

After this we do not hear any more of this
Theatre, but the example set by the above represent-
ations in Pathureaghata, Jorasanko and Shobhabazar
paved the way for the establishment of many public
theatres in Bengal.

Rahgabhumi, 1307, 2oth Magh,

Chapter VI

THE BENGALI THEATRE OF BOWBAZAR.

The Bowbazar Theatre started by some Bengali
amateurs of the locality brings us specially into
contact with a poet and dramatist Babu Manomohan
Bose, whose genius as a play-wright and author of
national songs needs no further mention. Babu
Chuni Lai Bose, who had often, before this, appeared
in the Belgachhia as Nati and in different female
roles in the Pathuriaghata Theatre organised the
Theatre and Babu Baladev Dhara, who also appeared
in the Pathuriaghata Theatre was his chief assistant
Manomohan Babu, who had hitherto distinguished
himself as a composer of Kavi and Half Alc^Lai
songs was approached by Chuni Babu for a dramatic
piece and the former agreeing, the party set to work
about the construction of a stage in Bowbazar, which
was built in the courtyard of Babu Govinda Chandra
Sarkar, 3, Govinda Sarkar's Lane, then known as
Biswanath Matilal Lane. It was here that the first
drama of Manomohan, Ramabhisek Noiak (instal-
lation of Rama as a Crown Prince) was staged on a
Saturday in the beginning of 1868 and the cast was
as follows :

17

130

)a3aratha

tama

jaksmana

umantra

r idusaka

>andis

iajadnta

MALES

Ambika Banerjee.

Uma Charan Ghose (of Raipur).

Baladev Dhara (an organiser).

Hriday Banerjee.

Pratap Chandra Banerjee

(an organiser).
Matilal Basu.

Bihari Das and Kanai De.
Kali Haldar.
Nanda Lai Dhar.

FEMALES

!au6alya ... Chuni Lai Bose.

umitra ... Chandra Mukherjee.

ita ... Ashutosh Chakraverty (of Shibpur).

rmila ... Bihari Dhar,

[anthara ... Kshetra Mohan De.

ati ... Nanda Ghose.

A correspondent of the National Paper, who
itnessed the performance says :

"The stage was beautiful, scenes were in accord-
ace with requirements. Visitors were well received
ad actors were elegantly and suitably dressed and
le whole performance was excellent/'

March 25, 1868, National Paper.

The performance was successful and the drama
enceforth became a popular piece for all amateur
arties. It was thus ironically termed as Varna-
aricaya Natak.

131

Prominent among the respectable gentlemen, who
frequently came to witness the performance*, were
Maharaja Sir Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur
of Coochbehar, Raja Digambar Mitra, Mr. W. C.
Banerjee afterwards the famous Barrister of the
Calcutta High Court, Sir Chandra Madhav Ghose
the late officiating Chief Justice of Bengal, Poet
Hemchandra Benerjee and some of the Judges of the
High Court, both European and Indian.

Manomohan's next successful drama Sail Nakalc
was very admirably staged in the winter of 1872 and
the dress and drapery to be worthy of the king
Daksa had to be selected from the wardrobe of a
rich inhabitant of Hatkhola, namely Dayal Chand
Dutt, who was intimate with the Babus of Bow-
bazar. The cast was as follows :

MALES

Daka & Siva ... Chuni Lai Boset

Santiram ... Mati Lai Basu

Narada ... Pratap Chandra Banerjee

Sabhapala ... Nityananda Dhar

Nagarpala ... Baladev Dhara

Nandi ... Kanai Behari Dhar

Vai$nava ... Beni Madhav De.

Saiva ... Kshetra Mohan De

Nata ... Nanda Lai Dhar

*Madhyastha, Magh, 1280 on Satl Naiak gives a review,
but we refrain from giving it as being edited by
the dramatist himself.

\Vide % page 68 of this volume.

132
FEMALES

Prasuti ... Abinash Chandra Ghose

Sati ... Ashutosh Chakravarty

A^uini . . . Chandra Mukherjee

Alaka ... Bihari Dhara

Magha ... Kali Chatterjee t

Sanaka ... Nanda Ghose

Maya ... Nanda Ghose

Bijaya ... Kali Chatterjee

... Nanda Ghose

We find, however, an account of the play in
Amritabazar Patrika, 22nd January, Tuesday,
1874:

"Some respectable persons of Bowbazar have
got a stage for amateur performances built at their
cost. Sail Natak was staged last Saturday. Parts
were ably rendered by the artists. We have been
much pleased with the performance. The sentences
of Prasuti and Sati should better be curtailed. The
Orchestra was very pleasing".

The Englishman of March 17, 1874, also says :

"The Bowbazar Amateur Theatre was well fitted
on Saturday night, when Sail Nafak was performed.
The Maharaja of Vizingram, Rajah Chandra Nath
Roy, the Pakur-Raj and several respectable
European and native gentlemen were present. The
acting on the whole was a success."

The party next staged Manomohan's Ham-

133

candid, written in December, 1874*, which, how-
ever, for the misfortunes to the organiser of the
play Babu Chunilal Basil in the death of his wife
and eldest son, the whole party became frightened
and the Theatre had to be closed for good.

For the graphic description of the Bowbazar
Theatre and the staging of the plays of Manomohan
Bose, we are thankful to Mr. Sailendra Nath
Mitra, M. A., Senior Professor of Pali, University
College, CaL and an erudite scholar, for the laborious
collection of all facts relating to its performances. He
is a resident of Sankaritola, Bowbazar, and as an
ardent lover of drama and stage, collected facts from
Babu Baladev Dhara and other persons of the loca-
lity. As few contemporaneous papers referred to the
Bowbazar Theatre, the pains, which Mr. Mitra took,
were arduous and enormous. Since his source was the
living memory of persons associated with the Theatre,
and not records in journals, the informations
may, however, labour under very minor discrepancies,
which on examination have, however, been found
not to affect the interesting, important and vivid
history he has given.

For example, Ham&bhiseka Natak was staged
first in February or March 1868f and not after
Durgapuja i.e., September-October of the same

* Madhyastha, Magh, 1281.

\The National Paper, March 25, 1868,

134

year. Again, according to his account Satl Natak
was performed in winter of 1871 i. e., early part of
1872 (January), whereas of the papers, The Amrita
Bazar Patrika ( 30th Jan. 1873 ) speaks of
a new play being then put rehearsals.* These under
however, may not form a discrepancy as the play
might have commenced in the previous year
and staged in 1872, and might have been put in
rehearsals a second time in the next year. News-
paper comments (excepting advertisements of opening
nights) are often misleading and a real scholar has
to sift staff from the kernel. Besides, Mr. Mitra's
authorities are definite that Satl Natak continued
for 4 years and this seems to be the real fact.f

About the performance of another play at
Bowbazar, probably by another party, we get the
following account :

JanaJcl-harana Natak by Kanai Lai Seal
of Bowbazar. The performances were satisfactory,
first in Kanai Babu's house, next in the house of
Ramlal Matilal.

* It says that the party was very successful in Ram-
abhiseka Natak and this time, too, a new play has
been put under rehearsal.

t Vide the Indian Athenaum (English), September, 1923,
page, 74, and the Bengali Vangavani (monthly
Journal, Magh, 1330, page 764). Both the articles
were written by Mr. Sailen Mitra.

Amrita Bazar Patrika, I5th May, 1873.

Chapter VII

OPERA YATRAS AND DEGENERATED
THEATRES.

In our previous Vol. I, we have dealt with Yatra
rather elaborately in pages 109-144 We have
described Krsna-Yatra, Sakher Yatra, Puran
Yatra and the New Yatras. In our present volume,
we shall describe how a new class of reformed Yatras
arose in Bengal and a correct description is found
in Vangadarsana (1289, Falgun, corresponding to
1883 Febry.) in the following way :

Kayek vatsar haila, ar ek paddhatir yatra
arambha haiyache. Ihake keha keha apera
vale, keha va upahas kariya "oppeyera" vale.
Ihate samla ache, pentlun ache, kot ache,
taravari ache^ sadhubhasa ache, vaktrta ache,
citkar ache, patan ache, utthan ache. Ihate
dekhivar jinis yathesta. Purve loke yatra
gunita, ekhan loke yatra dekhe. Tahatei ei
nutan yatrate ve^bhusar eta jak. Sangit o
kavyaraser eta abhav.

Such yatras are in vogue even today and we shall
now describe a few performances of this kind.

136

The first opera in Bengali is perhaps akuntala
by Babu Annada Prasad Banerjee. It was written
in a simple and elegant style and songs were appro-
priate and exquisite. About its performance
the Hindu Patriot, May 22, 1865, writes as
follows :

"We had the pleasure of witnessing the perform-
ance more than once and we must say that it did
credit to those, who were engaged in it, we hope the
opera will supersede the degenerate yatra."

Ramnarain's Ratnavalt, Kali Prasanna Sing's
Savitn-Satyavan, Madhusudan's Padmavatl and
other dramas, we mentioned before, were sometimes
acted as operas, as only a few days ago Pan$av-
gaurav, Jaria, Sail natak were so performed.

In 1865, Padmavatl was very well acted as an
opera in the house of Babu Rajendra Chandra Dutt
( Raja Babu ), the well known Homeopath of Bow-
bazar before a distinguished audience and the Hindu
Patriot, Nov. 20, 1865, writes about it :

'The opera was preceded by a play on the piano-
forte by the trained but gentle hands of Mrs.
Berigny. At about one in the morning commenced
the opera. The concert, which inaugurated the
performance, was excellent ; in fact, it reminded us of
the Belgachhia Orchestra. Then began the play.
The actors acquitted themselves on the whole

137

successfully and creditably. This we can say boldly
and sincerely that, of the three dramas, which have
been popularised in the form of opera, the perform*
ance of Padmavatl was decidedly the best and
most successful."

We hear of another opera Jandki-Ulap but we
have not seen any copy.

These Yatras, an admixture of theatre and old
Yatras, were also degenerated into farcical shows and
the necessity of having decent theatres on popular
basis was keenly felt.

On the other hand, the example, set by 1. Bei-
gachhia, 2. Pathuriaghata, 3. Jorasanko, 4. Shobha
Bazar Private Theatrical Company, 5. Bowbazar
Theatre, was also the origin of mushroom growth, as
during the rainy season, of various theatrical associa-
tions in Calcutta and Mofussil, too numerous to
mention, and we propose to describe only a few,
having some historical interest.

6. Panchanan Mitrtfs Theatre at Burtola,
Chitpore Road (Goranhata).

Through Panchanan Babu's exertions, Michael
Madhusudan Dutt's Padmavatl was staged in Sept.
1867, in the house of Jay Chand Mitra with great
eclat. This is what Babu Kisori Chand Mitra says
in his reminiscences* :

*Calcutta Review : Modern Theatre, 1873, p. 262,
18

138

"It was produced on the Boards of the "Bengal
Amateur Theatrical Society" at Burtola, No. 246,
Chitpore Road on the 14th Sept., 1867. This
performance was preceded by a Yatra Padmavafa,
based on the play in the house of the Duttas of
Wellington Square."

The Dramatis personae were :

Baja Indramla ... Behari Lai Chatterjee (after-

,, . wards of the Bengal Theatre).

Mantri, Sarathi,

Kaficuki, Augira ... Comic actor Girish Chandra

Ghose (Nyadaru Girish), late
of the Bengal Theatre.

VidQsaka ... Mani Mohan Sarkar, author of

Usa Aniruddha). Friends
used to call him as Lord.

Kali ... Jivan Krishna Dev (of the

Shobhabazar Raj family). (Not
J. K. Sen, as said by Viswa-
kosh. cf. "Disbanded Mada-
nika Kali Avatar." in page
128.

Padmavati ... Sib Chandra Chatterjee

Basumati ... Haridas Das, late of Bengal

Theatre.

It was in Padmavati that we find that Michael
Madhusudan Dutt first used blank verse in the
mouth of Kali.

7. Nala-Damayantl at Bagbazar.

In 1868, Nala-Damayantl composed by Babu
Kalidas Sanyal, was staged at Madanmohantala

13d

in Chitpore Road, through the eftorts of Babu CSropal
Chandra Chakravarty and Nyadaru Girish. Kali-
das Babu, too, took a keen interest and his composi-
tion and rendering of the part met with much appre-
ciation, so much so that he was successful in obtain-
ing a post at the Burdwan Raj House under Rajah
Mahatab Chand Roy.*

The cast was as follows :

Nala ... Gopal Chakravarty.

Vid5aka ... Kalidas Sanyal.

Bhimasena ... Gagan Chakravarty

Kaficuki ... Shyama Charan Charkrvarty.

Ki ... Nyadaru Girish

Damayanti ... Ashu Chakravarty and Shib Chatterji,
next by a Jugi boy.

Induprabha, published in 1868, a drama by
Girish Chandra Banerji of Chota Maheshtala, was
staged here. Vicitravahu was played by Gopal
Chakravarty.

8. jakuntala at Arpuli, Pataldanga.

In 1866, Mahasveta, SaJcuntala and Buro
Saliker Ohare Eow were staged here-

They next staged Nirnai Charan Seal's Gandrcir
vaU and Enrctri-avar Barra Log.

9. afamtala at the house of Kali Krishna
Pramanik at Kansaripara in 1867, and also at
Kshetra Ghose's house at Sankaritola, Calcutta.

* Mahendranath's Reminiscences.

140

10. Slti&r Vanavas by Umes Chandra Mitra.
of Bhowanipore, performance at the house of Nil-
mani Mitra,

A correspondent in Bengali writes* :

"I welcome with extreme joy the first perform-
ance of a tragedy, entitled the Exile of Slta at
Bhowanipore. On the whole, the performance was
worthy of our best commendation."

11. Mani Mohan Sarkar's Usa Aniruddha
by Chorebagan party, in 1867.

12. Janafti-vilapa in 1868 as referred to by the
National Paper, April 29, 1868.

The mofussil performances were also too many
to mention but Salcuntala performance in Janai at
Purna Chandra Mukherji's house in 1858, and Is
this Civilisation of Madhusudan in Atul Mukherji's
house and Bholanath's Bhale re mor Vap in
another Mukherji's house at Janai deserve special
mention.f

* Bengali, July 7, 1866.

t The following dramas are also worthy of mention :

1. Hindu-Mahila tfalak a drama on Hindu

females, their condition, helplessness by Batuk
Behari Bandyopadhyaya, Calcutta, G. P. Ry.
Company (1869) vol. 50, Calcutta Review.

2. Vikrama Naiak (1864) by Durga Charan
Chattopadhyaya, an East Bengal Dramatist,
Nantyana, Magh, 1322, Nalini Bhattashali.

141

In course of time most of the amateur perform-
ances degenerated into party squabbles on account
of unseemly quarrels and mutual, undignified
jealousies. As an example, we may mention here of
a private Theatre started at Kaylahata, Jorasanko, by
Babu Hemendra Nath Mukherjee (second son-in-law
of Maharshi Devendra Nath Tagore and grandson of
Babu Shyamlal Tagore of Pathuriaghata), in his
father's house-

The pavillion afforded an accomodation for 200
selected persons of very great position and put on its
boards a farce ^ Kichu Idcliu vujhi" "Yes, I under-
stand," as a rejoinder to the farce "Vujhle Id-nci?
"Do you understand", that was played at the Raja's
house at Pathuriaghata.* This trash piece was from
the pen of Bholanath Mukherjee and the other one
(Vujhle ki-na) was the work of Preomadhav
Bose, well-known composer of Kavi Songs. This
farce Kichu kichu vujhi, which was played at
Kaylahatat on 2nd Nov., 1867, (cf. Vujhle ki-ria
performed in Dec., 1866) exhibited a too low and
vulgar taste. It not only caricatured the Pathuria-

3. Carumukh Qittahamty Harachandra Sil.

4. Urval~by a Bengali Lady, published in 1866.
Price Re I, from Derozio Company Press. Vide,
Jogendra Nath Gupta's article in Pancafusfa,

* Vide, page 109.

f Ratan Sarkar's Garden Street, Jorasanko.

142

ghata Theatre but had personal references to
Maharaja Dr. Saurindra Mohan Tagore, who now
and then suffered from tooth-ache, and Babu
Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi in the role of Dantavakra,
gave a graphic and humorous description of Dr,
Tagore and his tooth-ache. Ardhendu Sekhar was
the first cousin of the Tagore brothers, their mother
being his father's sister, and enjoyed a pension
along with his father from the Tagore Castle. His
father asked him not to play the part but he refused.
For caricaturing the Tagores publicly, Mustafi with
whom the whole Tagore family were greatly offended,
lost his pension and all the favours he had hitherto
enjoyed there. It is said, Hemendra Nath and Bhola-
nath were present at some performance of Usa and
Aniruddha at Chorebagan and planned to start a
Theatre, where Bholanath Mukherjee would write
plays and Hemendra bear the cost of perform-
ances. Ardhendu appeared in the roles of
Dantavakra, Candanavilas and Moradali, while
Dharmadas Soor (subsequently the famous stage-
manager) appeared in the role of Candanvilasi.
The other characters were Natas, Khadyote^var
Guruji, Kalu Venod, Varada and Vaisnavi. The
performance was so charming but vulgar that
Madhusudan, who was present together with Babus
Gaurdas Bysak, Sarat Chandra Ghose (Bengal

Mahendranath's Reminiscences,

143

Theatre), Nabin Mukherjee (Jatindra Mohan's
brother-in-law), is said to have expressed mtiiklLre
vava wrttike, that is, no doubt, it gives mirth, but it
is worse than clay in point of vulgarity.

To come to our point, how it turned hi to
squabbles, we shall mention here.
There is a song in Vujhle U-na :

re negate dhulu dhulu kare dunayan,
Ravan marila Rame kande Duryodhan.
To this Mukherjee composed the following song
as a parody, to be sung hi the same tune.

Ore negate dhulu dhulu kare dunayan,
Ravan marila Rame kade Duryodhan.

Na vujhe karechi nes*a

Kothay amar raila pes*a
Eloke^e ela Ke^a karivare ran

Damayanti-bhaye kenco

Padire peyeche penco
Vidye ha'la garbhavati thakurer likhan,

8iver ghare kestar meye

Pencor mata raila ceye
Bakuni dhaka Gangay neye karle palayan.

Kheyechi asahya mad,

diyechi kar leje pad,
Eto nahe kam vipad kamde na ekhan.

Eki ha'la dSter jvala,

Lokalaye visam jvala,
Kanete karila kala vikata vadan.

144

This song, vulgar as it is, has a history behind
it and the following passages will show that
clearly :

1. Nes*a, mada (wine) refers, to excessive habits

of drinking of actors on the stage.

2. Elokes'e Keshav appearing as Jester, came

bare-headed in Belgachhia, No. 1.

3. Damayanti Nala-Damayanti, No. 7.

4. Padire peyeche Penco Padmavatj, played

at Panchanan Mitra's house, but now
suspended No. 6.

5. Vidye etc. to Vidyasundar, at Pathuria-

ghata. No. 2.

6. Siver etc. Krsnakumarl Natak, at Siva

Krishna Dev's house. No. 4.

7. Sakunidhaka Aakuntala. played this side

of the Ganges, is being staged at Howrah,
Janai. Nos. 9, 12.

8. Danter jvala refers to tooth-ache of Dr.

S. M. Tagore.

To this Preo Babu, author of Vujhle ki-na wrote
a song, in equally vulgar taste, as a rejoinder to
Mukherjee's, to be sung in the farce and to be acted
a few months after, hi the house of Yadunath
Chatterjee at Rajvallabh's Lane (Bagbazar).

145

The song ran thus :

Ami thiyetarer "history",

Grin cama nake diye go,

Dekhi grin rumer "mystery'*,

Ranga ranga cheleguli sakhl saje sav,

Kare narlr matan rav,

Tader akar dekhle akkel gudum,

Icche hay "kiss" kari.

Jay khudor vadlte majhe ha'la ekta dhum,

Sune hayni rete ghum,
Elo rajar vadlr vudo hanu Indranller saj pari,

Dukankata vidusak se ladeli sarkar,

"Disbanded madanika kali avatar."

# # *

Paner khilir dokanete ha'la ekta "act",

Valchi tari ^fact
Ha ? la yugir meye Damayanti,
Eman thiyetare gad kari.

Green Room Mystery about drinking parties.

Rajar vadlr Hanu Behari Lai Chatter jee, who
took the part of Bhimsing at the Raja's
house, appeared as Indranlldf in Padmavatl.

Dukankata, etc. Mani Mohan Sarkar, who
was called 'Lord', took the part of Vidusaka

19

146
Dhanadasa at Raja's house, in Krsna-

Disbanded Jivan Krishna Dev took the part

of Madanika in KrsnaJcumarl Natak at

Sobhabazar, which was to have been taken
by Mani Mohan Sarkar He also appeared
as Kali in Padmavatl.

Vide page 138.

Paner khilir refers to Nala-Damayanti at
Bagbazar. Here first Shib Chandra
Chatterjee used to play the part of
Damayanti ; next the son of a man of
Yugi caste from Kombuliatola. Refers to 7.

In another song Bose sang :

Kaylahatar mayla hatay ha'la tomar thai-
In the third he showed the merit of a Kavi-
walla but the song did not show good taste.

It ran thus :

Bhyala bhyala bhyala mor vap re,
Tui godar dale kapni paris

Apani kalir kapre.

Rajar vadlr vujhle ki-na

O tar vujhis kfickala, o tor yay na gun vala,

Kichu kichu vujhi vale laglo tor haf re.

Thus we find that theatre, though revived with
great promise, passed into a stage of degradation.
We commenced this volume with excess of Kavi

14?

squabbles, but though theatres were thought to
replace them, we again turn round to the same.

Theatres, on the other hand, which were really
respectable, were, heitherto, generally organised by the
educated and intelligent members of the wealthy
Bengali community and the middle class, had no
access there. It was keenly felt that the public
should not be deprived of the refined intellectual
amusement and instructive entertainment, and a
prospectus of a public Theatre was actually issued
calling for shares and subscriptions.* Nothing,
however, came out of this and while Tagores
and Devs tried all means to entertain their
friends and patrons, common people on the other
hand, began to be more and more disappointed, with
their desire for the amusement unsatisfied.

It was about this time that there rose a mighty
genius, who, with his lifelong devotion as a master
artist, inimitable teacher and distinguished dramatist,
founded, moulded and nurtured the Bengali Stage
on national lines and after years of devotion, industry
and sacrifice turned it into an excellent institution
for nation-building, which people of all classes have
always earnestly sought for education, amusement
and culture. By the time of his death in 1912

* The projectors were Radhamadhav Roy (also styled
'Manager') of 102-7 Aheeritola Street, Calcutta and

Jogendranath Chatterjee.

Hindu Patriot, nth Feb., 1860.

148

within 45 years, the Stage became a place, where
people resorted to not only for amusement and "art
for art's sake" but like many other civilised
countries, it acted as an instrument of culture and
light and contributed not a little to the popular
awakening of Bengal. This was no other person
than the late Girish Chandra Ghose, who is justly
known both as Shakespeare and Garrick of Bengal
and the father of the Bengali Stage.

Our next few pages of tMs volume will be
devoted to describing the earliest chapter of his
'making' and how from the beginning of his
appearance, the nation as a whole, accepted him as
the first great teacher. The next chapters will deal
with the National Theatre and Girish Chandra's
early connection with it, along with his talented
colleagues and disciples, who assisted him in his
noble work and mission as a builder of the nation.

Chapter VIII

THE NATIONAL THEATRE

SADHAVAR EKADASHI

On a certain occasion in 1867, when Girish
Chandra was only a young man of 22 or 23, he was
approached by a person, who was congratulating
himself on his obtaining a ticket for witnessing a
theatrical performance in the house of a rich man and
he narrated the devices, he had recourse to, for
procuring the same- Girish had also reports how
people, wishing to have entry into any of the houses,
were often turned out by Darwans by the neck.

This touched the self respect of Girish and when
next he met his friends anxious to see performances,
Girish promised that he would entertain the
common people by opening a theatre within a year.

Shortly after, in the same year, Girish Chandra
Ghose then serving as a clerk in John Atkinson &
Company organised for the first time a yatra perform-
ance of Michael Madhusudan Dutt's Sarmisflia.
To make it more attractive Girish proposed to insert
certain songs and for that purpose, he requested Babu
Preomadhav Bose Mallick, who readily agreed to

150

comply with his request. Inspite of repeated re-
minders, however, when Preo Babu failed to compose
the same, Girish and his friend Babu Umesh Chandra
Roy of East Bengal felt much disappointed and
talked amongst themselves "what's the good of so
much trouble, let us ourselves manage as we can."
This first led Girish to compose some songs and we
quote here a translation of a few lines as the first
published composition of the great dramatist :

"Ah ! what a beauty !

"Is it an illusion or a damsel in

reality !

"Perhaps the sylvan goddess

"With her radiant face

"And lotus-like eyes with dews

"Roam in joy.

"Who is this maid and

"Why she is helpless."

The successful performance of the yatra en-
couraged Girish to remove the much felt want of the
middle class men, who failed to secure seats in the
aristocratic Theatres. He found a very able
colleague in the person of Babu Nagendra Nath
Banerjee of Ramkanta Bose Street, the maternal
grand father of Srijukta Anurapa Devi, the distin-
guished novelist of Bengal. They were also joined
by Babus Radhamadhav Kar, Arun Chandra Haldar
and Mahendranath Banerjee of Paikpara and with

151

their co-operation and assistance organised the
Bagbazar Amateur Theatre, in 1868, Babu Arun
Haider lending the use of a room in his house for
the rehearsals of Sadhavar Ekadasl, to be soon
acted. As they could not afford gorgeous dress and
scenes, the above named social sketch was selected
for performance.

As we have already hinted before, Dinabandhu
was the next powerful dramatist after Madhusudan*
and both of them departed considerably from the
beaten path of the older Sanskrit dramatists as
followed by Pandit Ramnarain Tarkaratna. Like
Niladarpanci the rest of Dinabandhu's dramas are
more or less of the realistic school and attempted
to draw graphic pictures of the social and economic
condition of the country of his time and Sadhavar
Ekadc&i gave a living picture of Young Bengal.
It is after the model of Ekeiki Bale jSabhyata, "Is
this civilisation" of Madhusudan, which preceded it
The late Babu Bhudev Mukherjee says that Dina-
bandhu imitated Madhusudan and by incorporating
the character of Madhusudan himself in the drama
as Nimchand, Dinabandhu surpassed even his proto-
type in dramatic excellence, f The character of
Neemchand is a unique creation representing a

* Vide page, 101.

t As a poet Dinabandhu was the link between the old
school of Iswar Gupta and new school of Madhu-
sudan, but as a dramatist, he was greater.

152

young man of high education and culture who took to
drinking, which ultimately ate into the vitals of the
society. He quotes Shakespeare, Byron and Milton
and has a knowledge of men and things. Falling,
however, intoxicated in the drain, Nimchand mutters:

"Hail holy light ! the offspring of Heaven first
born of the enternal, co-eternal beam."

Babu Akshaykumar Sarkar, t editor Sadharam,
says "these were the words often uttered by
Michael himself" : 'A Dutt is no body's servant'
'that is, moral courage and I am the son of the son
of that moral courage family" thus Madhu used
often to exult in.

Nimchand, being thus a living representation of
so illustrious a poet, was a thing of great interest.
The great Bankim Chandra, too, wrote about it :-
"All the characters are living personations and the
subject, too, breathes much of reality."

But the late Rev. Lai Behari Dey, author of
Govinda Samanta of Bengal Peasant Life in the
Friendly Revieiv, a weekly journal, edited by him
made a very adverse comment of it. Thus he said :

"If this trash ever be put on the stage, we cannot
recommend a better place for its performance than
Sonagachee and a better audience than its inmates
and their patrons."

Pltaputra by Akshay Sarkar, page, 531, Bangabhasar
Lekhak,

153

Dinabandhu, too, was not indifferent to this
observation. He was highly offended and gave a
fitting rejoinder in his next farce Jama/i Barilc,
where Mr. De was ridiculed as Totaram Shot,
meaning one who commits things to memory as a
Tota (parrot), and produces those like a Shot
(thoughtless speaker).

The illustrious Bankim Chandra did not, how-
ever, approve of Dinabandhu's caricaturing Rev. Lal-
behari De as Totaram Bhoi. In the preface to the
works of Dinabandhu, Bankim said, "Totaram Bhat
is a blot (kalanka) to Dinabandhu's fame".

As we have seen before, Dinabandhu did not
follow the dicta of Sankrit dramatists and avoided
a prologue and abundance of songs. But as the
public had not yet been accustomed to the new ideals
and loved to hear songs as in Yatras, Girish inserted
here as well some songs fitting in with the occasion
and wrote a prologue with Sutradhar and Nati. The
first performance was held during the Durgapuja
festival of 1868 (1275 B. s.) in the house of Babu
Prankrishna Haldar of Mukherjeepara, Baghbazar,
and Girish appeared in the main role of Neem
Chand. He was also the master and coached the
other artists in different characters, which were as
follows :

Atal ... Babu Nagendra Nath Banerjee.

Kenaram ... Ardhcndu Sckhar Mustafi,

20

154

Jivan Chandra... Ishan Neogi.

Nakoor ... Mahendra Nath Banerjee.

Ram manikya ... Nil Kamal Ganguly (of Dacca).

Kumudini ... Amritalal Mukherjee (Bel Babu).

Saudamini ... Mahendra Nath Das.

Kancan ... Radhamadhav Kar.

... Nagendra Nath Paul.*

The second performance was held at Shampukur
in the house of Babu Navin Chandra Dev (Girish's
father-in-law and grand-father of Babu Chunilal
Dev, actor) and the third at Garpar in the house of
Babu Jagannath Bose.

The fourth performance was very important
from historical point of view, as on this occasion the
author came to see the performance and a host of
well known gentlemen came along with him. Chief
amongst them were Bijoo Bahadur and other Raj-
kumars of the Shobhabazar Raj family, Dr. Durga-
das Kar (father of the eminent Doctor R. G. Kar
and Babu Radhamadhav Kar)^ Babu Sarada Charan
Mitra (afterwards judge of the Calcutta High Court),

* There is some difference in the narration of the cast.
Both Babus Abinash Chandra Ganguly and Kiran
Chandra Dutt hold that Babu Radhamadhav Kar
appeared in the role of Rammanikya and Nandalal
Ghose as Kancan on the first night. But Babu
Radhamadhav Kar says that he appeared in the
role of Kancan and Nilkanta Ganguly as Ram-
manikya on the first night. Vide^ Radhamadhav's
Reminiscences i Rahgabhumi.

155

Jadunath Banerjee, the well known writer, and Babu
Gopal Lai Mitra, Vice-Chairman (afterwards), Cal-
cutta Corporation. It was held in February, 1870,*
on the night of the Saraswati Puja in the house of
Rai Ram Prasad Mitra Bahadur of Shampukur and
the whole audience unanimously praised the part of
Neemchand. In their midst sat the author, struck
with amazement, when with wistful eyes and tears
he saw the figures of his own imagination, so per-
fect as living beings on the stage and he came to the
actors after the performance was over and embraced
Girish paying compliments to him all the while, "I am
sure, Neemchand has been written for you alone, but
for you, the drama could not have been acted at air.
So excellent was the representation of Neemchand
that both Babu Indranath Banerjee and Babu
Akshay Kumar Sarkar, two great literary luminaries
of Bengal, used to express always that "Bengal's Girish
was no inferior to Garrick of any country". Dina-
bandhu Babu's worthy son Babu Lalit Chandra
Mitra, M.A. (now no more) wrote on the death of
Girish in the Bengali, echoing the sentiments of his
father : "About forty-five years ago, Girish Chandra
appeared in the inimitable role of Neemchand in
Dinabandhu's Sadhavar Ekadasl and when he awoke
next morning, he found himself an actor' 7 .

* In Bangadarsan, Mr. Sarada Charan Mitra speaks of
having seen the performance in February, 1870,
the year he appeared at the M. A. Examination.

156

Nimcad-bhumikay tumi sudhijan,
Nidra^ese yavc tumi ha'le jagarita,
Dekhile jayer dhvani kapaye pavan,
Grhapath rangamanca kare mukharita.

Last though not the least, the late Mr. Justice
Sarada Charan Mitter of the Calcutta High Court
on a later occasion, wrote in Vangadarsan of
Agrahayan, 1312 B. So about this representation
of Girish Chandra : "Many a drama in English,
Bengali and Sanskrit have I read carefully. Yet
some are only present in my memory and some
have been effaced from it, and as age far advances,
how much more will be lost in memory, but
one thing I will never forget in life and that is
the life-like acting of Neemchand of that night. That
very night I was introduced by somebody to Girish.
His youngest brother is my class-mate and Girish
has since been an esteemed and honourable friend
of mine 5 '. Indeed, the ex-judge always held Girish
Ghosh in the highest admiration since that perform-
ance- Sj. Amrita Lai Bose also said to us that
when during that time he came to Calcutta from
Benares, he heard the success of Neemchand's part
from every mouth and especially from Ardhendu-
sekhar.* The conversation ran thus :

Ardhendu's autobiographical account also shows that,
e) 8th Paus,

157

Ardhendu See the part of Neemchand, dear,
it is worth-seeing.

Amritlal Ah ! who other than myself can play
the part of Neemchand.

Ardhendu Oh ! dear, no, he is really a fine
actor. Come once and see, Girish impersonates
Neemchand wonderfully well.

(Amrita Bose's Reminiscences).

So also during the combined performance by the
actors and actresses of Calcutta at the Kohinoor
Theatre in 1912 to raise funds for raising a memorial
of late Girish, a few months after his death, Amrita-
lal's song alluded to Neemchand's part :

"Made matta pada tale
Nimedatta-Rangasthale,
Prothame dekhila Vanga
Nava Nataguru tar.

Natyamandir, 3rd year, 1319 B. S.

Thus was the position of Girish Chandra as the
Nataguru, secured on the first night of his appearance
in the immortal piece of Sadhavar EJcadasi, and
his career as an actor began thence.

Sadavar Ekadasl was also very important from
the point of the establishment of the National
Theatre, as this organisation grew so prominent
within such a short time that it was successful
within three or four years to start the public Theatre.

153

Natyacharya Amrita Lai Bose also acknowledges
this with gratitude.

So important apart Sadhavar Ekadasl played in
the starting of National Theatre that Girish never
forgot to express his gratitude to the author of the
piece. The eulogium, he paid in the preface of
Santi Ki Sasti, while dedicating this immortal social
tragedy forty years after, to the hallowed memory of
Dinabandhu, will speak for itself. The letter runs
thus :

"Sir, You were born to be the founder of the
Bengali Stage from which I have been earning my
bread. For this you deserve my deepest gratitude.
I have heard that respectful regards may visit even
the highest region. So I believe that in whatever
elevated sphere you may be or in whatever high
mission may you now be engaged, my respectful
greetings will touch your feet. When the Sadhavar
Ekadasl was acted, no theatrical performance could
be held without the help of some rich men, as it was
beyond the capacity of ordinary people to bear the
expenses of dress and other things incidental to it.
But such expenses had not to be incurred in your
society sketch the Sadhavar Ekadasl and there-
fore, the young people, though of ordinary circum-
stances, selected this for performance. If your dramas
were not there, those young men would not have
ventured to start the National Theatre. This is why

159

I respectfully greet you as the founder of the
Bengali Stage.

For a very long time I had a desire to pay my
grateful tribute to you, but I refrained from it be-
cause, hitherto, I could not write any drama worthy
of acceptance. Now I find that my end is nigh,
when will then my wish be fulfilled ? This is why
I have ventured to dedicate this unworthy piece to
your sacred memory. I have emboldened myself
with the thought that a god may be worshipped
even with humble flowers. (Devatar puja)."

Yours ever gratefully,

Girish Chandra Ghosh.

Baghbazar, 3rd Paush,
1315.

Here we ought to mark the change of events
in the rise and growth of the National Theatre and
Bengali Drama. But for Dinabandhu and his
Sadhavar Ekadasl, the middle class young men
could not have succeeded to make their project fruit-
ful and but for Girish's powers as the organisor and
his exquisite life-like representation of Neemchand,
the type of young Bengal, the project would not
have ultimately resulted in the establishment of
the National Theatre. If the dramas of Kamnarain
and Madhusudan were originally meant for the rich
people, Dinabandhu's dramas were most advan-
tageously made use of by the poor (Dinas) and in

160

Sadhavar Ekadasl, we find as Babu Amritalal Bose
rightly remarks, "the first germ of the Public
Theatre in Bengal."* Indeed Neemchand was as
much synonymous with Girish as Sadhavar Eka-
ddsi was with National Theatre and the Public
Stage.

Dinabandhu and Girish Chandra were, therefore,
rightly called the real founders of the National
Theatre and Public Stage of Bengal.

Sadhavar JEkaddsl also secured the note worthy
artists of great public importance. One of them
was Babu Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi and the other
Babu Dharmadas Sur.

The story of Ardhendu's success, ,s an actor in
the role of Dantavakra, was listened to with joy by
Girish Chandra, who asked his friend Nagendranath
to have Ardhendu brought before him. Ardhendhu
was the son of Babu Syama Charan Mustafi of
Baghbazar and Girish had seen him at a Morning
School of the locality, as a companion of his youngest
brother, Atul Chandra Ghosh, afterwards an Advocate,
Calcutta High Court. He was given the part of
Kenaram, which was rendered well. On the fourth
night he appeared as Jivan Chandra in place
of Ishan Neogi and so perfect was his representation
that Dinabandhu himself praised Ardhendu im-
mensely.

* Manasl Marmavam^ iSravan, 1323.

161

His kicking of Atal after rebuking him "GuetS,
aj theke toke tyajya putra kollem", was considered
as an improvement on the author, who wanted to
insert this in the next edition as an addition.

Satisfied though with the performance as a whole,
Girish, however, marked the defects of the stage and
its management at the first performance and from the
following night Babu Dharmadas Sur, who had
acted as Candanvilasl as colleague of Ardhendu
in the Kaylahata Theatre 51 ' and who remarked that
the stage required improvements though the acting
was good, began to act as the stage manager and we
shall presently see how wonderfully he contributed
to the development of the stage with the new
schemes of artistic management as the architect of
the stage carrying fully the sense of the masterly
dramas of Girish Chandra Ghosh. Indeed, the
Bengali Stage could not have attained such perfec-
tion, but for the devotional endeavours of Dharmadas.
It is said that sometimes disguised as a shifter of the
Lew's Theatre, he learnt the shifting arrangement
of the scenes, but once detected in his disguise, was
turned away. Thus he learnt the art, often
submitting himself to various indignities. Of him
Girish wrote :

"The actors, who won such high repute on the
stage, could not have acquired it but for Dharmadas.

* Vidc^ page 142.
. 21

162

The renowned artists Ardhendu Sekhar, Matilal
Sur, Mahendra Lai Bose, Captain Bell, Sib Charan
Chatterjee and others, if alive, would have exclaimed
in one voice : "we have acquired reputation in
public, but Dharmadas was often behind the wings ;
a few only would have exclaimed "who drew this
scene ?"

Natyamandir, Bhadra, 1317, B. S.

In the above performance, Kenaram was played
by Abinash Chandra Banerjee of Chorebagan, who,
for his excellent representation, was hereafter called
as "Ghatiram Deputy" ; Radhamadhav Kar appears
as Rammanikya and his Kanchan was played by
Nondalal Ghosh, who was better known as Nanda
ostad. The actors brought scenes and wings from
Sibpur and on the prosenium ( Mukhapat ) was
written, ''He holds the mirror upto nature." * The
fifth performance was held at the house of Babu
Lokenath Bose of Baghbazar, sixth at Kidderpore,
during the Puja of 1870 at the house of Babu
Lakshminarayan Dutt of Chorebagan, grandfather
of Babus Hirendranath Dutt Vedanta-ratna and
Amarendranath Dutt actor and in this performance
another farce of Dinabandhu, Biyepagla-Buda, was
performed with great success. The part of Ardhendu
as Rajib Mukherjee,t an old Brahmin, mad for

* Rahgabhumi, 8th Paush, 1307.

f This was written in reference to a living person.

163

marriage, was a treat. The unique position of
Ardhendu as a serio-comic actor was determined
here. He was here supported in the cast by
Babu Radhamadhav Kar as Rata Napte, Babu
Gopal Chandra Das as Pancur ma and Babu
Sib Chandra Chatterjee as Kaner BhaginI, all of
whom scored a great success in the representation
of their successive parts. After the performance
was over, Girish Babu in the role of Neem Chand
used to recite the following prologue before the
audience, which, we reproduce here as the concluding
mirth for our readers :

Matlami to phuriye gelo
Dekhun budor ranga,

Basarghare topor pare
Kiva biyer dhanga.

Ay na Nose, Rata kotha japarista bol,
Ksama kariven dos rasikamandal.
Asche evar chodar dal Bhuvno, Nose, Rata,
Sabhyagan namaskar phuralo amar katha.

The above verse means, intoxication is over,
enjoy the fun, forgive us for our defects and accept
our greetings.

The name of the book Sadhavar Ek&dasi has
been explained by Neeinchand at the end of the
book. Referring to Atal another specimen of young

164

Bengal, who, for wine and woman, cares none in the
world and feels no shame to leave the most beauti-
ful and accomplished wife, for Kanchan, a prosti-
tute. Of this class Neemchand, though a drunkard,
otherwise a good soul, thus exclaims :

Mataler man tumi

Ganikar gati,
Sadhavar Ekada^l

tumi yar pati.

The verse can thus be rendered into English :

"Thou, the solace of the drunken

The refuge of harlots,
And widowhood to the woman

Whose husband thou art."

After Sadhavar Ekadasi, it took some time to
have the next drama performed. There was no
place to meet and the members were mostly occupied
in Yatra shows.* Dengu fever also broke out in

* Early in 1870, Bhalore mor vap> a piece by Bholanath
Mukherjee, was performed at the house of Jayram
Bysak (Charakdanga), which was repeated in the
Jonai House at Aheritola. Babus Nagendra Nath
Banerjee and Badhamadhav Kar got a counter-
piece written by Priyamadhav Bose. Although it
was not acted, contests, however, continued for
some time in Samvad-Pmbhakar between the two
writers. Vide^ Ardhendu Mustafi's Autobiographical
account,

165

Calcutta for some time and at last Babu Brajendra
Nath Dev,*f brother-in-law of Girish Chandra, with
a view to have a permanent stage, built at his house,
raised a fund out of the contributions from brokers,
baparies^and clerks of Messrs Atkinson & Co., where
he was the Book-keeper and Girish served as a clerk.
Much enthusiasm was seen and Krsnahimarl Natak
was actually put under rehearsals. In a short time
Brajendra Nath fell seriously ill and the actors
were again scattered.

A common friend was next found and Babu
Govinda Ganguly, a gentleman hailing from Ichha-
pur, Vikrampur and an officer of Digu Babu of Dacca
at Hatkhala, agreed to lend the use of a room and
bear the expenses of rehearsals. The party then
thought of a permanent stage and began to collect
subscriptions from the promoters and friends. A
sum of Us. 80/- was only collected, Dharmadas and
Nagendra each having contributed Rs. 20/-. This
magnificent sum was again exhausted in the pur-
chase of a few pieces of cloth and colours for the
scenes. The party was in despair again.

Girish then came to the rescue and with the
permission of his brother-in-law Brajendra Babu
and other members of the family had the materials

f Father of the actors Babus Chuni Lai Dev and
Nikhilendu Krishna Dev, the former of whom was
an important figure in the Bengali Stage.

166

>f the unfinished stage brought to the house of Babu
iajendra Chandra Pal (son of Brindavan Pal) of
Jhambazar and placed those in charge of Dharma
)as. As only a short while ago, the services of the
ainter had to be dispensed with for want of money,
)harmadas himself began to paint the scenes.

At this time a destitute English sailor, without
x>d and raiment, came for charity. In the course
f a conversation Dharmadas came to learn that he
ras an expert in making painters' colours. Dharma-
as gave him shelter in his house and in turn had
11 the scenes painted by him. He was so much
ccupied with the work of the stage that his duties
s a teacher in the Kambalitola Preparatory School
rere performed now and again by Ardhendu Sekhar
nd sometimes by Babu Amritalal Bose, who had
smporarily come from Beneras, where he was a
lomoeopathic Doctor. Thus with the help of
rirish and the exertion of Dharmadas, a permanent
tage was soon built at Rajen Pal's house.

Both Ardhendu and Dharmadas were for charg-
ig prices for admission, but with Girish opposing,
le suggestion that he would have nothing like it
nless Rs. 5000/- was set up for the purpose, the
lea was given up.

National Theatre* was the name given to this

* Vide, Ardhendu Sekhar's Reminiscences, "Ranga-
bhumi", 6th Magh f 1307.

167

permanent structure. The name was suggested by
Babu Navagopal Mitra, Editor The National Paper,
who took a special interest in naming every organis-
ation as national and was hence himself named as
National Navagapal. He wanted to call it the
Calcutta National Theatre but at the suggestion of
Babu Matilal Sur, the word Calcutta was dropped
and the Theatre was given its present name.

It took however some time and not until the
rainy season of 1871, that any performance could
be held in the National Theatre. The party had
selected Lllavatl for its performance, but its
versification was rather too difficult for ordinery
actors to recite the passages. It required a good
deal of coaching ; so, the members got round Girish
for their master.

About this time an amateur party at Chinsurah
Hoogly (a few miles off from Calcutta) under the
supervision of the great Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
(whose name is a by-word in Bengali and whose
Bande Mataram broke through the slumber of
centuries) and his associate Babu Akshay Chandra
Sarkar had the drama of Lllavatl staged with
scenes and passages cut off and others added accord-
ing to their choice. Girish's party was then
rehearsing the whole play without omitting any-
thing, as if in competition with Chinsurah party,
but during the latter stage, Girish Chandra, owing

168

to the pressure of office work and also on account
of some differences with some members, could not
attend the rehearsals and the part of the hero
Lalit was therefore given to Dharmadas. As
the latter did not do justice to the part in rehear-
sals, the whole party, headed by Ardhendu,
Govinda, Nagendra and Dharmadas, came to
the house of Girish and entreated him in the
most imploring terms : "What ! we would be
defeated by the Chinsurah party and you will
silently witness it by standing aloof". Girish agreed
at last and so superbly he did his part that the
author clasped him in joy and exclaimed, "I was
not aware that my verses could be so well read.
Take this compliment at least". Ardhendu, too, did
his part very successfully in the role of Haravilas
and maid servant talking in Midnaporc dialect.
The following list will give an idea as to how the
principal actors had their parts distributed :

Girish ... Lalit (Hero)

Ardhendu ... Haravilas and "Jhee"

Jogendra Nath Mitra ... Naderchand

Nagendra Nath Banerjec ... Hemcliand

Mati Sur ... Mejho Khudo
Amritalal Mukherjee or Captain

Bell or Bell Babu ... Saradasundari

Mahendralal Bose ... Bholanath

Suresh Chandra Mitra ... Lilabati

Sib Chandra Chatter jee ... Srinath

Kshetra Ganguly ... Rajlakshmi

169

Radhamadhav Kar ... Kshirode-basini

Hingul Khan ... Raghua Ude

Jadu Bhattacherjee ... Yogajivan

It was here that Babu Mahendra Lai Bose,
afterwards the well-known tragedian, met Girish
Chandra Ghosh. After the most successful career
of 20 years, when Mahendralal passed away in
March 1901, (24th Falgun 1307 B.S.) Girish Babu
wrote about him in Rangalaycb" thus :

"Mahendra Lai acquired a taste in acting in his
younger days and when our amateur party showed
performances of Sadhavar Ekaddsl, he used
to be present almost every night. After this,
when L r ilavatl was settled for performance, I met
him first. He wanted a part in the play. But the
cast was almost settled there. He was, however,
allowed to appear in the short role of the village
Zeminder Bholanath Chaudhury, and to conceal his
tender youth he was made to put on a pair of false
moustache. The whole party was glad to see the
change in countenance. When, in the play Mahendra
Lai in his role in conversation as a drunken man
used to tell Srinath, his brother, "what she says is
right, but brother, what can I do" (Scene III, Act
IV), the expression will never be forgotten by those,
who heard him. Dinabandhu, the author, after
the performance addressed him as "Bholanath
Chaudhury."

In later years, Mahendralal grew to be a very

23

170

successful actor and was called the Tragedian of
Bengal. In acting scenes of despair, he was with-
out any parallel.

The performance of lAlavatl received warm
applause from the audience and pleased the author
so much that he expressed thus : "Now shall I write
to Bankim, duo (fie), thou art defeated." Dr.
Kanai Lai De also so much appreciated the play
that he expressed before Maharaja Jatindra Mohan
Tagore himself that "your performance compared
with that of Girish's party is but a crow nursed up
in a golden cage."*

The yard was large and spacious and yet a
number of audience had to go disappointed every
night for want of accommodation. So great was the
earnestness of the general public to see the theatrical
performances, that to avoid rush Dharmadas, the
manager, used to distribute tickets on reference to
University certificates, which had to be shown him.

Thus, we find that Dinabandhu's Lilavatl was
staged by the National Theatre in June or July,
1871, and was repeated four nights only, but owing
to excessive rains the stage was considerably
damaged and the party was dissolved, not to meet
till January, 1872.f

* Vide, Ardhendu Sekhar's Biography by Girish Chandra.

fin January 1872, we have evidence of the staging of

Sarmistha at Coochbihar Rajbari Theatre, through

171

Some of our friends of the modern period have
asserted that Lilavati was staged in May, 1872 and
not on the previous year. The present writer wrote
two articles in the issues of Aghrahayan and Magh
of 1339 B.S. of the now defunct monthly journal
Pancapuspa, edited by Prof. Amulya Charan Vidya-
bhushan. The discussion was entirely academic and
the history of the stage is not affected in the least
whether the play was performed in 1871 or 1872.
As, however, no erroneous notion should be enter
tained even of a minute detail, I weighed all facts
most carefully and after a deliberate consideration
agree with the late Babu Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi,*
that Lilavatl was staged for the first time, by the
National Theatre in 1871, and not in 1872.

As theatres were too many at the time,*}* it is not
prudent to identify one for the other without some

the exertions of the Stamp Superintendent, who
devoted whole time to the success of the play. It
was during the time of the Political Agent Col,
Haughton. Vide, Hindu Patriot^ Jan. 29, 1872,
u The Drama of Coochbihar."

*Vide Ardhendu Sekhar's Reminiscences^ Rahgabhumi,
Magh, 1307.

t Theatres and Operas are not a few in this city, If
not now, at least some time ago, they were as thick
as black-berries. Every street and every lane could
boast of one such institution. Nor are those
theatres of ordinary merit. Some were of excellent
character. The National Paper, nth Dec., 1872.

172

Common peculiarities and one wonders as to how a
performance by Shambazar Natya Samaj of 1872,*
could be indentified as the first performance done
on the previous year by Baghbazar Amateur Theatre
(the previous name) or the National Theatre (the
present name) or one by Girish, Ardhendu,
Nagendra, Mahendra and others.

On the other hand, Babu Ardhendu Sekhar
Mustafi narrates the incidents of the period from
1871, July (date of Lilavatl) to 1872, 7th Dec.
(the admitted date of Nllcularpana), covered in
seventeen months, with so minute details and
accuracy that we have no hesitation to hold his
history as the most authentic and accurate. All
the contemporaries, Babus Amritalal Bose, Radha-
madhav Kar and Mahendra Lai Bose pay compli-
ments for authenticity of his history and none
contradicts him. Further discussion here would be
too dreary and taxing to our readers.

LUavatl spread the reputation of the National

* Lllavatl was staged last Saturday by Shambazar
Natya Samaj and there is contemplation of giving
more shows. The company would have done if
the performances were done some time earlier.
The summer has assumed a dreary appearance and
it will be very troublesome both for the actors as
well as spectators. Madhyastha, May 23, 1872.

N.B. There is nothing to show that this was a perform*
ance by Girish Babu's party.

173

Theatre in various directions and Girish next selected
Nlladarpana Natak for performance by his party, as
he remembered the sensation the drama produced
in mufusil ten years ago, while he was still in his
teens. Babu Bhuvan Mohan Neogi, so well known
a figure in connection with the public stage of Bengal,
came to the field at this time. He lent his garden
house standing on the Ganges, for rehearsals from
January, 1872* and used to help the party with
money from time to time. After the rehearsals had
fairly advanced and all the scenes of Nilcula^ana
painted by Dharmadas, Girish was pressed by his
colleagues to open the stage as a public theatre by
charging prices for admission. He, however, con-
sidered the idea too premature as his ideal of
"National" was great and something different. To
charge prices in the name of the National Theatre
with such a poor stage and scenes and a group of a
few amateurs confined to a particular locality, would,
he argued, be unfair to the public and would
also be slighting the hallowed name of the
"National" which applied to the Bengali Nation,
as a whole, and other peoples would have
a veiy poor idea of the Bengalis, if this little
amateur stage were supposed to represent their
National Ideal. The difference was not with regard
to the name 'National', as used by the amateurs

* Reminiscences of Ardhendu, RahgabKumi,

174

but with regard to national in the name of the
public, charging prices. Formerly it was not known
to many but by making it public it would attract
public notice. Everybody, however, seemed to turn
a deaf ear to his objections ; they decided almost
unanimously, remarking, "If he differs, let us do
without him and let us find out a man, who can
like him keep us all under control". Girish left
the party owing to this difference and Babu Beni-
madhav Mitra, who happened to be at the ghat in
connection with the Gangayatra of a dying man at
the time, was made their president.* The dress
rehearsal was held at the house of Babu Nagendra
Nath Banerjee.

The house of Madhusudan Sanyal at Jora-
sanko (popularly known as the Ghariwalla Bari, 337,
Upper Chitpur Road) was rented at Rs. 30, a month
and the stage was soon built up there. Though
practically there was no pavilion and the audience
had to sit under the canopy of canvas, yet the play
was a great success and the sale proceeds amounted
to Rs. 700/- in the first night, the tickets having
been priced at Rs. 2/- first class (chairs), Re. l/-
second class (benches of planks) and As. /8/- third
class (raised pucca plinth).* The performance com-
menced at 8 P.M. (doors being opened at 7 P.M.).

* Reminiscences of Ardhendu Babu and Amrita Babu
and Abinash Babu-Kiran Babu's account. Vide>
also, Amrita Bazar Patrika of 5th December, 1872.

175

The cast was distributed as follows :*

Nagendra Nath Banerjee
His brother Kiran
Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi

Mati Lai Sur
Mahendra Bose

Amrita Lai Bose
Abinash Chandra Kar
Kshetra Ganguly
Amrita Lai Mukherjee

(Bell Babu)

Sib Chandra Chatter] ee
Gopdi

Tincowri Mukherjee
Shashi Bhushan Das

Purna Chandra Ghosh
Jadunath Bhattaeherjee
Golok Chatter jee
Kartik Chandra Paul

Nabin Madhav
Bindu Madhav
Mr. Wood, Golok Bose,
Raiyat, Savitri.
Torap, Raicharan,
Gopal, Muktear.
Magistrate, Sadhu
Charan, Padi mayrani
Sairindhri
R. P. Rogue
Saralata

Kshetramari'u
^\>pi Dewan
Nabin Madhav's
Muktear
Rebati, Aduri
Amin, Pundit Maha-
saya, Kaviraj
Lathiwal
Rayyat
Khalasi
Dresser

Ardhendu, in the role of Mr. Wood, was a
unique figure and the performance was very much
appreciated, though the author keenly felt the gap
of a serious actor in the absence of Girish Chandra,
Properly speaking, this was the first public theatre,

* Reminiscences of Ardhendu Sekhar & Amritalal &
Kiran Babu and Abinash Babu's account,

176

laving opened on the 7th December, 1872 (on 23rd
igrahayan, 1279 B. S.), under the old name of
National Theatre, with the performance of Nila-
larpana. In it the important figures were
Ardhendu, Nagendra, Dharmadas, Mahenv "Ml
Babu and Amritalal. The money, howeve., .s
spent for the benefit of the stage and improvement
}f dramatic literature and none used to take a share
}f it except Ardhendu who needed occasional
help.* Practically, all the actors worked for the
sake of a high ideal and the Bengali stage was really
bunt ou t ke sacr ifi ce O f a f ew Bengali youths of
the middle clas.

This was the first time tna-t ^a'bu kmritalal
Bose took a part here. He was then practising as
a Homeopathic Doctor, first at Benares and then at
Patna and after Girish Chandra left the party, the
part of Sairindhri, which had been given to Babu
Radhamadhav Kar, was played by him The re-
presentation was excellent and his weeping im-
pressed the audience. It is said, Ardhendu taught
him to weep at a deserted house in the evening,
which since acquired a notoriety as Binder Bari
or the haunted house.

It will not be out of place to put before our readers
the contemporary opinions regarding the performance

* On the third night he had to be paid before he was
persuaded to come and play his part.

177

of N r dadarpana. The National Paper called it an
event of national importance* and felt it an honour to
record it in its columns. The Patrika considered it
a great thing that without any support of any rich
man, the theatre promised to be a national concern,
which would ensure great benefit to the society and
encourage talented writers to write plays.t The
Madhyastha was gratified at the sight of the
audience, both by their number and their outward
appearance. Indeed, the number was so large that
the authorities found it difficult to accommodate all
with seats and a number of people was found going
back, disappointed. J

About the performance, The Indian. Mirror
rightly remarked that throughout the whole, the
acting was most excellent and it did not know what
to admire best whether Sadhu Charan's ease of
acting, SairindhrFs maiden modulation of voice or
the gentle motion and the accents of the graceful
Saralata and The Mirror considered that although
Torap in some instances outheroded the Herod,
the part was, however, acquitted very creditably.

The National Paper, however, gave the palm of
superiority to the following actors over the rest,

* The National Paper, nth Dec., 1872.
I The Amrita Bazar Patrika, I2th Dec., 1872.
\ Madhyastha, J5th Paush, 1279, 28th Dec., 1872,
$ Indian Mirror^ 26th Dec., 1872,

23

178

amongst the male first Torap, second Golok Bose,
third Nabin Madhav, fourth Dewan, fifth rayyats,
sixtli the little boys and among the females, Golok
Bose's wife, Sairindhri, Kshetramani, Padi may-
rani. It continued that the actings of the females
were most sympathetic, especially when Golok
Bose's wife played the idiot's part, when Kshetra-
mani grew righteously indignant at the shameful
conduct of Rogo the Shahib, and they all lament-
ed over the miserable condition of Bose's family.
Many amongst the audience shed copious tears, when
they saw the enactment of parts.

Madliyastha considered, however, Golok Bose,
Dewan of the Indigo Factory, Mr. Wood, Mr.
Rogue, Amin, Muktear* Kaviraj, Torap and Kshetra-
mani to be classed as the best, Nabin Madhav,
Sadhu Charan, Pandit, Daroga, four boys, Sairindhri,
Saralata, Padi mayrani as second class artists and
others, who approached those closely to be third class
actors. In fact each one vied with another in ex-
cellence to verify the slang Look to me. It also
considered that the manner in which the Dewan of
the Indigo Factory, Mr. Wood, Kaviraj, Torap,
Kshetramani in all the scenes, Golok Bose in the
Magistrate's Court, Savitri in her insanity, Kshetra-
mani at the time when the Shahib was using force
upon her, Revati at the time of Kshetramani's death,
Torap and Nabin Madhav when they rescued

170

Kshetramani from Mr. Rogue's hands, Sairindhri
when Nabin Madhav was lying unconscious, and
Saralata in that scene and just before she was
killed by her mother-in-law, were excellent and
highly praiseworthy.

The Patrika also expressed gratification at the
excellent representation by artists. In its opinion,
"The loyal and spirited character of Torap was well
represented. The roles of Golok Bose and his
wife were played by one and the same actor.
He is an expert actor. But he could not well
represent the wife's part. Sairindhri was not so good,
but her cries were indeed marvellous. Saralata was
indeed a young wife, weak and gentle. Aduri was
excellent. Each and every character delighted us.
The performance was faultless".

Some of the artists have also left reminiscences,
which are hero worth mentioning. Babu Dharma-
das Sur believed that such an excellent representa-
tion could not be surpassed in future. Babu
Ardhendu Sekhar felt that with the high apprecia-
tion they received from the audience, their breasts
were puffed up ten times in glee. Babu Amritalal
Bose in his personal reminiscences about his co-
actors says, "Handsome Nagendranath did well as
Nabin. The stalwart figure of Ardhendu most
appropriately fitted in with the character of Mr.
Wood. Abinash Babu had a very handsome

180

appearance and his features looked rather rough and
stern and he could thus splendidly represent the
cruel and reckless officer of the Indigo Factory
Mr. Rogue. Last, but not the least, MatilaPs acting
as Torap and his make-up were so excellent that
none has yet been able to act that part so success-
fully as Matilal."

Indeed, inspite of petty mismanagement, here
and there, the acting, on the whole, was so excellent
that even the famous educationist Babu Rajnurayan
Bose of the Brahma Community after witnessing
the performance remarked, u that the ideas he had
formed in his mind about the dramatic characters,
their pose, posture, speech and dress tallied with
the reality."*

The authorities, however, had to meet one diffi-
culty. Our readers must have read at page 99, how
Rev. Mr. J. Long was sentenced to one month's
imprisonment for libel, in 1861 and the Englishmanf
expressed surprise at Government's allowing the play
to be represented without libellous parts being
removed. Babu Nagendra Nath Banerjee, however,
on the following day (21st Dec.) wrote in excuse
that "the object of the promoters was simply to
represent village life and it was far from their object

*Madhya$tha^ 28th Dec., 1872.
\ The Englishman^ 2oth Dec.

181

to traduce the character of Europeans and that the
libellous portions have been omitted."*

The Deputy Commissioner of Police was present
on the 2nd night of the performance (21st) and
inspite of his assurance that he came there only as a
spectator, one of the promoters,, however, appeared on
the stage, at the close of the play and apologised
"We act this drama because the state of the village-
life has been vividly described, but not from malice,
nor for the disgrace of any community."f

Nothing, however, was heard after this.

We ought to give also the other side of the
shield here.

"Sulov" still complained of the company not
having the good taste to exclude obscene scenes and
expressions from the play 4

In the articles "National Theatricals" and "Father",
published in the IinHm. Mirror of the 19th and
27th December, respectively and in other papers,
appeared also adverse criticisms of the play. The
former issue contained : "Histrionic arts :

"The play failed to bring the atrocities of the
Indigo Planters vividly before the eyes of the
spectators. Golok and his wife were represented by

* The Englishman^ 23rd Dec,, 1872.
t- Madhyastha, 28th Dec., 1872.
\ Mirror, igth Dec., 1872.

the same actor, but though an adept, he was not so
successful in the wife as in the husband, a compara-
tively very inferior part. Sairindhri the heroine was
not upto the mark ; her weeping tone was unnatural"*

The issue of the latter date also contained the
opinion of "Father" in the following expressions :

"Up goes the drop-scene next and out comes the
ricketty stage with its repulsive hangings. I was
also touched at the tragic death of the author. Golok
Bose's limping exit and nasal voice was simply
ridiculous. The much-injured ryot, too, vied with
each other in comic preference. Sarindhri belonged
to some extinct race of mortals, whose weeping tone
some antiquary might recognise and it was a curious
sight to see her drawling with the upper lip curved
and head beating time."f

Some actors of the day believed that the articles
were written by or at the direction of Girish Chandra
Ghosh. It might be that the leader of the tiadhavar
Ekadasl party really represented the "Father of the
stage." Though there is no definite proof beyond
mere suggestion to attribute the authorship to Girish,
we must at the same time admire the unnamed critic,
whoever he is, for the anxiety the articles expressed
to see the stage really purged off evils so that real art

* Indian Mirror, I9th December, 1872.
t Indian Mirror, 27th Dec., 1872 ; vide, A. B. Patrika,
26th Feb., 1932 ( Author's articles).

183

might be shown from the very beginning and what
he says has been mostly corroborated by journalists
here or there. That Girish Babu satirised the party
for taking so rash and premature a step by making
the theatre public without a better house and a better
stage may, however, be seen from the following song,
which he put into the mouth of Babu Radhamadhav
Kar, while playing a farce in a Yatra performance.

The song, satirical, as it is, represents a chapter
of the history of the National Theatre and we give
it below :

Lupta Veni vohiche Terodhar
Tahe Puma, Ardha-Tndu, Kiran,

Sindur niakha matir har
Naga hote dhara dhaiya Sareshati,

Ksmakaya.

Vividha vigraha ghater upar sobha pay
Siva Sambhusuta Mahendradi

Yadupati avatar
Alaksyete Visnu kare gan, kiva

dharmaksetra sthan.
Avina^i muni rsi kocche vase

clhyan.

Savai mile deke vale Dmabandhu

kara par

Kiva Balumoy vela, pale pal reter bela J
Bhuvanmohan care kare Gopale khelu

184

Miche kare aa 'yata casa' niler

goday dicche sar.

*
Kalankita Sai sarase amrta

barase
Jwan hoi ba deener gaurav ota dine

khase

Sthanamahatmya handi shundi poisha
de dekhe bahar.

The song is a satire on some actors of the
play, whose names we give below in order of the
rhyme.

The meaning may be explained thus :

Lupta Veni Venimadhav Mitra, President, but
whose name was not announced.

Purna Purnachandra Mitra, actor.

Ardha-Indu Ardhendu, the leading actor.

Kiran Kiran Chandra Banerjee (Nagen Babu's
brother).

Sindurmakha 'Mati ? Matilal Sur.

Naga Nagendra Bandyopadhyaya, the Secretary,

who was the organiser.
8iva Siv Charan Chatter jee.
Sambhusuta Kartik Chandra Pal dresser.
Mahendra Mahendra Lai Bose.
Jadupati Jadunath Bhattacharjee.
Visnu Bishnu Chandra Chatterjee of the Brahma

Samaj, who used to sing from behind.

185

Dharma Stage manager Dharmadas Sur.

Ksetra Kshetra Mohan Ganguly.

Bela Bel Babu Amrita Lai Mukherjee.

Palepal Rajendra Nath Paul, one of the well-
wishers, and others of his caste.

Bhuban Mohan Care Bhuban Mohan's parlour
on the Ganges, where rehearsals used to
be held.

Core Wanders, or Banks of the Ganges.

Gopala Gopal Das, actor.

Casa Actors of the Sadgopa caste (there were
many).

Niler Gorai Nlladarpana, put on for performance.

Amrta Amritalal Bose.

Diner gaurav The fame of Dinabandhu might
decline with this acting and on such a stage.

Sthariamahatmye On payment of 8 as., persons
of all castes saw the performance sitting
together unlike other occasions, when seats
of Bhadraloks used to be separated from
those of the ordinary classes.

Here the song refers to actors, though it may
also mean the Triveni Tlrtha or the junction of the
three rivers the Ganges, the Jamuna and the Sara-
swati at Triveni, few milesnorth of Howrah.

However satirical the song was, "it did not", says
Viswakosh, "create any bad feeling" It must be
admitted that the song too did not contain the sting

24

186

apt to be found on similar satires and Babu Amrita
Lai Bose says, "we relished the song and sang it
in chorus." Ardhendu also said, "all our names were
so cleverly put in the song that it reflected much
credit on the poetic imagination of Girish Ghosh."*

Our readers would mark the difference in tone
and expressions in protests even when one does not
agree and this was expected of the 'Father of the
stage/ He was critical to a finish without any
vulgarity anywhere.

But, however successful the acting was, Nlla-
darpana failed to produce any effect in Calcutta,
while representations of the drama produced an
electric sensation in mufasil in the year 1861, as we
narrated at page 95 of this book. There was really
much of comic show and the author very rightly
missed the presence of the serious actor in Girish.
The Patrika, too, was disgusted "at the audience
bursting into loud laughter when the poor ryots were
ciying aloud after being kicked to the ground by the
Indigo Saheb."f It rightly endorsed that Nlla-
darpana should better be performed at Krishnagore,
the scene of the plot and its neighbouring places
Jessore and Murshidabad. The National Paper
also agreed to this view.

Nlladarpana was not, however, the first public

* Rahgabhumi, 1307, 20th Magh.

f Amritabazar Patrika , mh Dec., 1872,

187

performance of Bengal. Here, too, Dacca was the
pioneer and JRamabhisek Ncttak was staged on the
30th March, 1872. The young men of Dacca, the
pick of the society at the time, raised money by
selling tickets for the performance and devoted it
to charitable and educational purposes. A decent
stage was built with scenes painted by well known
artists. No school student was, however, allowed to
come to see the performance. Tickets were priced
at Rs. 4, 2, and Re. 1. The performance was
highly appreci at ed.*

From another account "f we have the following :

"A large number of persons witnessed the
performance. Amongst others, some notable
Mahomedans, the District Superintendent of Police,
Mr. Pogose and a few Christian gentlemen were
present. All of them expressed much gratification
at the representation of the play. The D.S.P. was
so much pleased that while leaving he expressed
that he would not miss the next opportunity of
bringing his wife with him. Mr. Pogose too
repeated that the amount (Rs. 5) was really spent
for a noble cause* All the actors did well and the
special amongst them were Rama, Laksmana,
Manthara and Dasaratha."

To come back to The National Theatre, it how-

* Amrita Bazar Patrika, 28th March, 1872.
t Amrita Bazar Patrika, 4th April, 1872.

188

continued showing performances on every
Saturday as per following :

7th Dec., Niladw-pana.

14th Dec*, Jamai Bank by Dinabandhu.

21st Dec., Niladarpana.*

As to Jamai Barik, the small farce, Pandit
Ramgati Nyayaratna says, "The domesticated sons-
in-law and fathers-in-law, who have to maintain
them, will be brought to their senses on reading the
book/ 1

As to the performance, the Hindu Patriot of
the ICth Dec., 1872 writes as follows :

"Last Saturday night the National Theatre gave
a second performance. On the last occasion Babu
Dinabandhu Mitra's Jamai Barilc or the sons in-
law's barracks a farce was performed. The play
was well sustained. The sons-in-law performed
their parts admirably. The drollery of the scene
when they appeared in a group and exchanged notes
was very telling. But some of the female characters
were not quite successful. On the whole, however,
the performance was good. We would recommend
the amateurs to have a repetition of Nlladarpana
and to give a timely notice to the public as many, we
are told, are desirous to see it."

The Patrika, however, wrote a long article about

* Contemporaneous advertisements in Englishman,
Indian Daily News ^ Madhyastha, 8th Paush, 1279
B.S, and Purohit, 1901, Sravan.

180

the performance, portions of which would only be
necessary :*

"As we shed tears in Nlladarpana, we laughed in
Jamai Barik. Each and every actor of this time is a
perfect jewel. Every part was well done, especially
that of Padmalochan, Bagala and Bindu was wonder-
ful Every time we saw them, we felt extremely
delighted. But we were greatly disappointed for the
omission of one scene. Kamini lamenting for her
husband is an excellent scene in the original, but the
whole thing was reported through the mouth of the
Mayrant. That marred the whole effect of the scene.
This is due to an error of judgment on the part of the
author and Dinabandhu should have realised it
There was another mistake for Padmalochan to sing
and dance after the quarrel of the two co- wives.
That is not consistent with his character/'

The performance of Niladarpana on the second
night fetched Rs. 450 only and was not of the superior
order like the former one. It was also considered
necessary to form a body of persons, who would
honour those visitors to whom honour was due, select
proper dramas and look to the better management of
the stage and auditorium. Such was the earnestness
that the leading newspapers, including the Patrika
and National Paper began to offer suggestions for

* Amrita Bazar Patrika, igth Dec,, 1872.

190

the improvement of the stage, scenes, music # and
dances.

An idea as to how the making of the National
Theatre was done by the devotion of the workers in
the field may be gathered from the autobiographical
account of Babu Arnritalal Bose :

At that time, coolies and servants

were but few,

Even they dreaded to work.
People, therefore, have seen near the Laldighi
Bhuni Babu fixing placards getting

upon a ladder.

Now-a-days everything is done by mere orders ;
Even the bearers can now compose
songs for an opera.

Amrita Madira.

On the 4th and 18th January, 1873 the National
>e played Navln Tapasvinl a drama by
>andhu and the National Paper wrote :

aladhar, with his quips and cranks and wanton
"ejoy, with his love for Kamini with her
nd grace, charmed the audience/'

Ardhendu as Jaladhar surpassed all past
Girish Chandra said, "this representation
alleled in the unparalleled" "atulaniya
laniya."

.rika of I2th Dec., 72 said, u none was pleased
/ith the music."

191

Jaladhar was the king's minister but a man
devoid of common sense and wanted to make love
with Malati, the chaste wife of a Sadagar Ratikanta.
Through the intelligence of Mallika, Malati's cousin,
he was converted into a Hondal Kut Kute, a
curious human figure with a monkey's cap, his body
immersed in tar and then covered with cotton and
afterwards locked in a big cage. This part and the
couplet :

Malati Malati Malati phul
Majale majale majale kul

still feels one with great mirth. It will be no
exaggeration to say that Raja Chandra Nath of
Nator was beside himself with joy on seeing the
part of Jaladhar, played by Ardhendu. The part of
the hero (Bejoy) was taken by Babu Amrita Lai
Bose and that of Navln Tapasvinl, (lit. the young
devotee) by Kshetra Ganguly.

All these dramas that formed the first and the
most important supply for the National Theatre
make Dinabandhu the pet of the age and about the
merits of these the great Bankim Chandra writes
as the following :

"Dinabandhu's dramas were realistic. The plots
originated from incidents, characters of living beings,
old novels, English Literature and current tales.
Navln Tapasvinl was one of such dramas. The
story of Rajah Ramani Kanta was a real one, the

192

story of Hondal Kut Kute was borrowed from
old novels and the characters of Jaladhar and
Jagadamba were conceived in imitation of Sir John
FalstafFs discomfiture in Shakespeare's Merry Wives
of Windsor."

Llldvatl was staged on the llth January, 1873,
but a real Lalit was wanting to give it life. Every-
body was so thoroughly charmed with the long
passages recited by the inimitable Girish in Rajendra
Pal's house about two years ago, that the audience
here was displeased with the lifeless acting of the
hero, some really shouted, "lovers should stop love
discourses."*

Hitherto performances were held on Saturdays
only. From the 15th January those continued on
Wednesdays also. On Wednesday, the 15th Janu-
ary, Biyepagla ButLa was presented with some panto-
mimes, represented for the first time on the public
stage. Pantomime, as the National Paper says,
"was played with better skill and success than what
was expected."

The MadhyastJia also gave a nice description of
the following pantomimes :

"The Hunch Back, News above for National
Civil Service, Mustafi Sahebka Pucca Tamasa, and
the Fairy Land."

^ loth Falgun, 1289 B.S f

193

These comic sketches were not regarded with
favour by the thoughtful section of the people, who
began to cry for better and newer dramas, but none
was found to step into Dinabandhu's place.
Ramnarayan's Yeman Karma Teman Plial was
next staged on the 22nd January, 1873, and his
Navanatak on the 25th. These two were old
dramas. As each week, a new drama was tried,
pantomimes were not even reduced to any writing,
and acting used to be carried more with the help of
a prompter. This was the origin of the actor behind
the scenes.*

Next a new drama Naisho Rupea from the pen
of the illustrious journalist late Babu Sisir Kumar
Ghosh was staged on the 8th February, 1873, and as
an elaborate social drama, it deals with the prevailing
marriage custom of the time, the reverse of what
is in vogue in the present day. There was perni-
cious custom in vogue in our society when payments
as marriage demands were exacted from grooms of
Kulin by the bride's fathers who did not allow their
daughters to go to father-in-law's house until full
payments were made and sons-in-law were treated
with harshness and indignities if before clearing all
arrears they came to the house of fathers-in-law.
This was more prevalent amongst the Kulins.

The demand of money for Ramdhan's daughter

* Girish's Biography of Arclhendu,

25

194

Sarala in the drama being Es. 900/-, the book is
so named. Satulal, brother of Eamdhan with
a bubble in hand, figured as the social reformer,
whose efforts saved Sarala and got her married to
Eanjan, a hearty young man of the village, both of
the couple having loved each other :

The drama, original as it was, served its purpose
and in the opinion of the Patrilca "no other
writer had shown greater insight into human heart
as the author of Naisho Rupea, like Dinabandhu
Mitra, who attempted to excite laughter or as Madhu-
sudan, who tried to rouse poetical emotions in the
poetic or poetical people. 5 '

The drama, original as it was, served its purpose
and although the Patrika paid eulogy for showing a
great insight into human heart, we would better
reproduce the observations of the illustrious Bankim
Chandra,* which run thus :

"There is not a single true drama in Bengali.
The author has attempted to write the book in a
highly simple and clear style. We can not say, he
has been a great success ; yet for the very attempt
he deserves just praise. The tyranny of Sanskrit
has been so great, that it has become quite unbear-
able now-a-days but the writer, in order to avoid
Sanskrit, has fallen to the rusticity of the village
dialect."

* Bangadarsan^ loth Falgun, 1279,

195

"The chief merit of the book consists in showing
self-less love. This makes us forgive the author
for all his short-comings. There is little interest
in the drama, and Satulal is a queer person but
not improbable, there is nothing in this character
for which the author may be justly proud. Satulal
is Neemchand in Hemp-smoking and therefore Neem-
chand's second. But it can be equally remarked
that it means no mean credit to a modern play-
wright. Satulal has a full development. He
can be recognised by his face and even from distance
by his very voice. We cannot but laugh at his
words when we are by his side ; again when we
notice tears in him, we feel strongly attracted to-
wards him. Satulal has got so many virtues that
it is no wonder that he would stand by Neemchand
resting his hand on the Litter's shoulder We con-
clude our criticism, but if this is the first attempt
of "the unknown writer", we are sure, his works will
be prized when he will be more experienced in tackl-
ing language and emotions."

Regarding the performance, The National Paper
commented :

"Ramdhan, the Brahmin, father of Sarala the
heroine of the play, maintained his part very well*
The part of Gopimohan Bhattacherjee, another
Brahmin, was well acted. He excited great laughter
during his conversation with his wife. Kanai

196

Ghoshal, a village gentleman, who afterwards proves
to be the father of Ran j an, acted his part to the satis-
faction of the audience. His conversation with his
wife Shashi's mother in the last act was very pathetic.
Satulal, the younger brother of Ramdhan was
really comical. Satu is a Ganja-smoker with an
open heart. He excited great laughter whenever he
appeared on the stage. In the third scene of
Act III, the professional disputes between the
Allopathic Doctor, the Homeopathic Doctor (Niloo
Babu) and the native Kaviraj were very amusing.

"In the fifth Act the bridal hall was a beautiful
spectacle. Navin Babu's short address in the Sabha
on the transcient state of worldly happiness in the
tone of a Brahma preacher elicited cheers. Amongst
the female characters Sarala's mother, Shashi's
mother and Shashi acquitted themselves well. The
love scenes between Ranjan and Sarala were toler-
ably represented. Ranjan was very hasty and
rather flipp. Sarala's expression, motion and
gestures were graceful and quite feminine. We are
very glad to notice this time the presence of several
respectable European gentlemen and ladies in the
Theatre ; a judge of the High Court graced the
Theatre with his presence."*

Ardhendu appeared in the role of Satulal,
Ainrita Babu in that of Ranjan and Kshetra

* The National Paper, Feb., 1873.

19?

Ganguly of Sarala. In appreciation of Ardhendu,
we have the following from Girish Chandra
Ghosh :

"Those who beheld that performance said before
the author himself that what was represented by
Ardhendu was not possible from any other actor,
even of the English stage- His calling for bids
Naisho Rupea Ek, Naisho liupea Do, Naisho Ihiyea
Teen and other expressions used in soliloquy were,
though an improvement on the author, yet, extra-
ordinarily original and interesting."*

Of Ardhendu Girish Babu said that his comic
acting was of a very high order. When he used to
play a part, he was something different from the
part itself ; the extraordinary comic element
blended with seriousness was Ardhendu's creation
and it was more appealing to the audience who used
to see Ardhendu all in himself and not the part he
played. In the farces and pantomimes^ too,
Ardhendu was marvellous to a degree, and unique
in character. He was at his best in Biyepagla Bu^a
"when lying down alone in his bed, he expatiated in a
beautiful and well paused soliloquy on the prospects

* Biography of Ardhendu.

t Biyepagla Buda, Kubjar kughaian, Nava Vidyulaya,
Mustafi Saheb ka Pucca Tamasa, Paristhan, Betatl
Babu } Model School, Subscription book and Green
Room of a Private Theatre.

i9b

of the forthcoming nuptials, which opened on him
like a new Elysium."*

About this time Debcarson a humorous actor
from the continent arrived in Calcutta with
Mr. and Mrs Hall and entertained the public
specially the Europeans at the Grand Opera
House by his comic songs and sketches. The
performance began from a Thursday of November
1872 with Dalcghar and other shows f and notices
used to be scattered broadcast Dekho, Debcarson
Saheb lea Pucca Tamasa.

On the 7th December, 1872 the very night when
the public theatre was opened at Jorasanka, Deb-
carson caricatured the Bengalees in a farce as
Bengali Balu. He used to draw large crowds,
earned a good deal of money and was much
applauded when he sang :

"I am a very good Bengalee Babu
"I keep my shop at Radhabazar ;
"I live in Calcutta, eat my dalbhat
"And smoke my Hookka."t

* Indian Mirror, 22nd, January, 1873.

t c The Bengali Babu", "Professor", "The School Master",

"Police Court", "The Blind Beggar", "The Bombay

Parsee."
t Debcarson stayed only a couple of months in Calcutta

and was spoken of with much interest by the

Englishman as will appear from the following :
41 The inimitable Deb gave his last regular performance

199

On the Bengali stage, however, there was only
one man, who was a match for this Saheb and that
was Babu Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi. To give a
retort to Debcarson's above caricature, Ardhendu,
dressed as a Saheb with an old hat, torn coat and
dirty trousers and with Violin (Behala) in hand,
used to show Mnxtafi Sahellca Pucca TamcL^a to
caricature the so-called Sahebs in the following
song, which he used to sing with gestures :

"Ham vada sahev hai duniyame

"None can be compared hamara sath ;

"Mister Mustafi" name hamara

"Catgaon me mera Vilat.

"Coat pini, pentaloon pini

"Pini mera trousers ;

"Every two years new suit pini

"Direct from Chadney bazar.

"Dirty niggar hate hamare

"Vada maayP ache, chho chho".

By this and other comic sketches of the like
nature (generally known to all as Mustafi Saheb Jca

at the Opera House, on Wednesday night and the
attendance was full. Though not such as might
have been expected, Deb's part of the perform-
ance was capital and we are glad to hear that he
will take a benefit at the Town Hall before leaving
Calcutta with his Company. He deserves, and
ought to have a bumper house."

The Englishman f Friday, Dec, 20, 1872,

200

Pucca Tamasa), Mr. Mustafi who was henceforth
regarded in the stage as Mustafi Saheb or Sahel by
all, was a match for Debcarson and both drew
equally crowded houses by their pucca tamasa,
though in the opinion of Girish Chandra, Debcar-
son's humour was of a much lower order than that
of his Bengali rival.

There is also another incident, which needs
mention here. A few months before the "National
Theatre" showed its performance before the public,
Mrs. Lewis arrived in Calcutta with her Dramatic and
Burlesque Company and entertained the public with
a number of plays and farces. The Opening Night
of the Lewis Theatre was the 28th September, 1872,
at the Town Hall. After some time she built a
stage at the Chowringhee Road on the Maidan on
the mode of The English Stage and was popular
here. Mr. Geo Lane Anderson and G. H. Leonard
were artists on her stage and she continued till 1876.
It might be that this theatre and Debcarson's shows,
were the immediate incentives to the starting of the
Public Theatre in hot haste.

Bharat-Mata, was also staged on the 15th Feb.,
1873 at the instance of Babu Sisir Kumar Ghose,
editor Amrita liazar Patrika, and of this we shall
give a detailed description hereafter.

As all possible dramas were now exhausted, the
party at this time wanted to play Michael Madhu-

201

sudan Dutt's Krsnakuman NaJtak^ the well known
tragedy of the day. But to make it a success
worthy of the drama, after the performance of the
play at the Shobhabazar Private Theatrical Com-
pany they knew that the part of Bheem Sing could
not be rendered by anybody in the troupe except
by their leader Girish Chandra Ghosh, whose deep
clear and resonant voice with his kinglike appear-
ance fitted in well with the part and so all came
to Girish Babu at his house in a body. Girish
agreed to play the part on one condition that his
name would be in the advertisement as Bheem Sing
"by an amateur." They, however, added 'distin-
guished' before the word 'amateur' and appeared with
their leader in the main role on the 22nd Feb., 1873,
(just two months and a half after they had separated,)
and Rajah Chandra Nath of Natore, who had been
very much pleased with Girish's acting and postures
during rehearsals, himself dressed "Girish with his
own princely costume and his rich sword, the insignia
of his rank, dangled from his jewelled belt." Michael
was present during the first performance and highly
praised the histrionic talents of Girish Chandra.
The acting of Girish was marvellous. It is said,
so deep was his voice and so strong his feelings
that when he called twice in his anguish the
name of "Mansinha", "Mansinha", two spectators of
the stall fainted on the first night. Equally heart-
rending was his expression to his wife at the death

20

202

of his daughter Mahisi, do you see your Krsna
"Mahisi, tomar Krsnake dekcho".

Mahendra Babu was in the role of Rani Ahaylya
and drew tears from the audience by the tragic part.
To Kshetra Ganguly, the poet addressed thus :
Krsnakuman, you have done perfection."

Dharmadas says "we do not get even one hun-
dredth of the encouragement, which all sections of
the Calcutta public including the weathiest citizens
gave us then."

The cast was distributed as follows :

Balendra ... Nagendra.

Dhanadas ... Mustafi Saheb.

Jagat Sing ... Kiran Banerjee.

Mantri ... Gopal Chandra Das.

Satyadas ... Mati Sur.

Kysnakumari ... Kshetra Ganguly.

Vilasavati ... Bel Babu.

Earn Ahalya ... Mahendra Bose.

Madanika ... Ashutosh Bose.

Girish's presence was also required at that time,
as between the members disputes were going on as
to who would be in charge of money, etc. About a
month before this, we find in Madhyastha, The
National (22nd Jan.,* 1873) and other papers that
some actors Babu Mahendra Lai Bose, Mati Lai
Sur, Amrita Lai Pal and Rajendra Nath Pal
members notified in papers that according to a

203

meeting held on the 19th January, Babu Navagopal
Mitra, 1 Manomohan Bose 3 and Heinanta Kumar
Ghose, 3 were made arbitrators. Madhyastha
apprehended that the failure in mediation might
require even the intervention of law courts. The
difference arose in a wrong move of Devendra Nath
that his brother Nagendra, Amrita Bose and
Dharmadas should declare themselves as proprietors
to which Dharmadas objected. 4

The matters grew worse and in a meeting presided,
over by Babu Hemanta Kumar Ghose, both parties
attended but could not come to any definite settle-
ment. We next find an advertisement in English-
man and Indian Daily News of the 24th Jan., 1873
and subsequent dates, as the following :

National Theatrical Society

"At a meeting it was resolved that Nagendra
Nath Banerjee, the former Secretary of the Society,
be discharged and Babu Mati Lai Sur be appointed
in his place."

Within 10 or 11 days differences seemed, how-
ever, to have been settled and that Babu Nagendra
Nath Banerjee continued to be the Secretary.

1 Editor National Paper.

2 Editor Madhyastha.

3 Editor Amrita Bazar Patrika.

4 Dharmadasa's Autobiography.

204

It was at this time* that Girish was called both
to play that part as well as to control and direct
to the management and the above settlement was
the immediate effect of his arrival.

Girish wrote in Ardhendu's biography :

But at that time, men, who posed to be patrons in
order to appropriate the sale proceeds of the
theatre, declared the difference of opinion as
enmity towards the theatre. But I had to join
it when the Krmakuman was staged. I was
selected for the role of Bhimsinha. At that
time the difference between the two sections
became more intense and wide. I refused to
appear unless my name was advertised as an
amateur. But the avaricious amongst them
objected to it, fearing that it might frustrate
their object. But when they found me un-
yielding, it was advertised, "Bheemsinha by a
distinguished amateur ."

Girish Babu became henceforth the director,f and

* Madhyastha t I3th Magh, 1279 ; National Paper, 22nd
Jan., 1813 ; National Paper, 1 2th March, 1873 and
Madhyastha, 3rd Chaitra, 1279 ; /. D. News, 5th
Feb., 1873 and A. B. Patrika, 3oth Jan., 1873 and
also Dharmadasa's Reminiscences.

t Indian Mirror, 26th Feb., 1873, says that the editor of
the Amrita Bazar Patrika and Girish were the only
directors and hoped that under both, the latter
being one of the best native amateur actors of the
town and combining in himself a good education
with an excellent taste and a tolerable knowledge

205

united the artists, went on merrily for some time but
owing to excessive rains in the early spring of that
year, they had to close the theatre at Sanyal bardi
in a few nights only. On the last night, 8th
March, 1873 after a few Pantomimes, MichseFs
Bu^asaliker GJia^e Roiv and Yeman karma teman
phal, they took leave of the public with a timely
composed song from the pen of Girish Chandra,
sung by Babu Behari Bose (Jyetha Behari) in
female dress :

The song reads thus :

"With a sorrowful heart I take your leave
May I ask the wise not to forget me ;
In the midst of beauty and joy
My heart withers in despair.
Though the copious rains make all happy
The earth has put on her vernal garb ;
But it grieves me more, to depart *

in this season of joy.
Though hope to appear in a new guise,
on a new built stage."

of human nature, the National Theatre will daily
improve.

* After the song was finished, all those present, began
to express regret. They began to say 'why do you
stop, why bid adieu. Why should we forget you,
we would come wherever you would go/

AmritalaPs Reminiscences*

After the theatre was closed apparently for rains,
but really for jealousies a dispute arose about the
possession of theatre's property its funds, dress,
furnitures and others things. The dispute could
not be amicably settled and it gave rise to two
parties. Amrita Babu joined Ardhendu's party.
The second party was in fact led by Rajendra Pal.
Dharmadas Sur was in that party. It is even now
talked about, that the disruption of the National
Theatre was due to the excessive greed of those, who
wanted to be the party leaders.*

Babu Amritalal Bose also agreed that those, who
were in charge of fund, could not render any account
and the disputes arose about that.

The dress used to remain then at Nagendra
Nath's house but then the stage and scenes remained
with Dharmadas. An opportunity soon arose for
the prominence of the Theatre.

It was at this time (3rd Feb., 1873), His Excel-
lency Lord Northbrook, the Viceroy of India, laid
the foundation stone of the Calcutta Native Hos-
pital, which was to be built on the banks of the river
at Pathuriaghata. Dr. Macnamara a specialist in
Opthalmy was collecting subscriptions at the time.
Babu Rajendra Nath Pal and Dharmadas Sur in
an interview with Dr. Macnamara suggested a bene-
fit performance and the Doctor gladly agreed to take

* Ardhendu's Biography by Girish.

207

on hire the Town Hall for the performance and
bear necessary expenses. The condition was that
all proceeds of sale of tickets would be given him
for the purpose. They took a week's time and saw
Girish, as within so short a time they could never
venture to appear on the stage without his help.
As the purpose was noble, Girish agreed and took
upon him the task of coaching the actors, himself
playing the role of Mr. Wood. Niladarpana was
selected for the performance-

Only three classes of seats (Reserved seats Rs. 4,
First class Rs. 2, and Second class Re. 1 ) were
issued and the sale proceeds amounted to Rs. 1100/-
only, of which Rs. 400 met the necessary expenses.
Almost all the disciples and colleagues of Girish
Chandra Mati Sur, Mahendra Bose, Abinash Kar,
Gopal Chandra Das, participated in the performance.
The part of Sairindhri was played by Babu Radha-
govinda Kar (afterwards Dr. R. G. Kar), Radha-
madhav's brother.

The performance was shown on the 29th March,
1873 (Saturday) and the Town Hall was very finely
decorated with flowers, leaves and proper lights,
Dr. Macnamara being himself present at the recep-
tion. The play was a grand success and Girish
Babu so well fitted his part with the make up,
movements and articulations of voice that people
thought that Mr. Wood's part was being played by

208

a Bengali knowing English friend of the Doctor.
Girish's representation received greater appreciation
by the cultured audience though Ardhendu could
carry the mass more powerfully. The reason is for
the difference in the two distinct conceptions.
Ardhendu represented Wood as a hard hearted
greedy Englishman, whereas Girish showed -him as
one not cruel by nature, but doing his duty as an
English settler (merchant) with vengeance.

The scene where Rogue was assaulting Kshetra-
mani moved the audience so much that Babu Dina
Dayal Bose, Babu of one of the most renowned
Barristers, Mr. Woodroff (Justice Woodroft's father),
asked for police help for the arrest of the saheb.
It was a regret that few Europeans were present
but that they wanted to see another performance,
was echoed in the following observations of the
Englishman of the 31st March, 1873 :

The National Performance at Town Hall

On Saturday night (29th March), the members of the
Calcutta National Theatre performed in the
Town Hall the play of NUadarpana for the
benefit of the National Hospital. It is a great
pity that so short a notice was given, as on that
account very few Europeans were present.
However, the natives mustered very strongly
on the occasion and testified by their repeated
plaudits how much they enjoyed the perform-
ance. The acting was exceedingly good

209

throughout. We hope, the management will
give another performance shortly."

We have already mentioned that Nagendra Nath
and Ardhendu were not in this party. They, how-
ever, did not fail to assert their official connection.
When at a special meeting held on the 26th
March, 1873 by Dharmadas's party at the Baithak
Khana house of the late Babu Rasik Neogi's ghat,
it was resolved, amongst other things, that Babu
Amrita Lai Pal be nominated Honorary Secretary
in place of the above gentlemen,* the above two
gentlemen also made a counter move. When all
preparations were going on for the above perform-
ance of Nvladarpana at the Town Hall, they not
only threw the blame on Girish Chandra, but issued
a notice on the 29th March, the night of perform-
ance as follows :

44 We are sorry to announce that owing to a breach
amongst the members of the above society
through the instrumentality of one of the direct-
ors Babu Girish Chandra Ghose, the play of
Niladarpana, to take place this evening at the
Town Hall, is hereby postponed till further
notice/'

Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi Master.

Nagendra Nath Banerjee,

Hony. Secretary.
29th March, 1873.

* Vide, Englishman and I. D. News^ Advertisement^
March, 24th 2gth, 1873.

27

210

Of course, Babu Amritalal Pal, the newly
appointed Secretary issued a contradiction at once
to the following effect :

"Gentlemen, friends and patrons are requested not
to lend their ears to the above advertisement
of several persons, who are against the theatre."

National Theatre,

Office, Baghbazar, Amrita Lai Pal,

29th March, 1873. Hony. Secretary.

As no counter organisation was able to stop the
performance of Nlladarpana under Girish, Ardhendu-
Nagen's party calling itself "Hindu National" rented
the Grand Opera House and showed performances
for three nights on :

5th April 1. Model School and its examin-
ation. 2* Belati Babu. 3. Distribution of
Title of Honour. 4. "Mustafi Sahebka

s

Pucca Tamasa" followed by 5. "Sarmistha"
with Nagendra Babu as Yayati, Ardhendu
Vakasur, Sib Chandra Sukracarya, Bel
Babu Devajani and Kshetra Mohan

Sarmistha-*

* Private boxes to admit 5 ... 20

Lower stage to admit 4 ... 16

Dress Circle ... ... 4

Stalls front ... ... 3

back ... ... 2

* ++ fft ft* **

12th April Tragedy of "Vidhava-vivaha/'

19th April "Kiiicit Jalayog, Ekei-ki-bale
Sabhyata, Dispensary, Charitable Dispen-
sary^ Bharat Sangit.

On the 26th April, 1873, "Hindu National"
showed a performance of Nlladarpana at the
Howrah Railway Theatre, which was rather adversely
criticised by one Dinanath Dhar in A. B. Patrika,
12th June, 1873:

"Mr. Wood out-did his part, so was not ably ren-
dered. He ought to read the passages in
Hamlet, sc. ii, Act III."

But unable to do much in the face of competi-
tion with Girish Chandra, they left for Dacca by
the 1st week of May.* Before they left, they
commenced building a stage at the house of Babti
Kaliprasanna Sinha.f

The National Theatre again gave another bene-
fit performance on the 5th April at the Town Hall
for the Charitable Section of the Indian Reform
Association staging Sadhavar Ekadasi and Vilapa
( lamentation of Bharatamata ). But the sales fell
off this night owing to competition of Hindu
National.

On the 12th April, 1873, the National Theatre

* Amrita Lai Bose's Reminiscences. Puratan Prasanga^

2nd Paryaya, p. 128.
t Amrita Bazar Patrika^ isth May t 1873.

212

affixed their stage at the house of Raja Radhakanta
Dev,* showing the performance of Krsnakumarl
Natak. But a very untoward event occured that
day. There was a voucher in the name of Amrita
Babu, showing some money owed by the National
Theatre to him, as the three directors decided so, and
on the 12th, Amrita Lai Babu got an order of
attachment before judgment and had the scenes
and stage of the National Theatre attached. The
money was, however, paid by Kumar Girindra
Krishna Dev Bahadur of the Shobhabazar House
and the performance went on as usual. The Raj
Kumars, who had once attained great success by
staging this very drama before, appreciated the
performance by Girish Chandra's party very much
and encouraged the players. Kumar Amarendra
Krishna, who had played the part of Rani Ahalya
highly praised Mahendra Babu for the part. About
Ahalya, Girish himself wrote :

The audieuce could not restrain their tears at
performance of the Rani in the drama, even
though in appearance he did not look quite
upto the mark. He who acted the part in the
performance at the Shobhabazar Raj House

* Indian Daily News and Amrita Bazar Patrika :
National Theatre, Calcutta, Saturday, I2th April,
1873. -The performance to -take place at the
elegant Natmandir of Raja Radhakanta Dev
with Dharmadas as Stage manager.

213

forgot his jealousy and greatly praised the rival
actor.*

On the 19th April, 1873, they showed the
performance of Nlladarpana and on the 26th some
pantomimes, Piano being conducted by young boys
of the age of 7 and 10.

On the 10th May, 1873, they showed a perform-
ance of Kapalct'kun^ala of Bankim Chandra. The
dramatisation was made by Girish Chandra, at
Sanyal-bari, though not staged there and the parts
were coached by him. On the night of the perform-
ance, here the manuscript of the drama, however,
disappeared in a mysterious way. But Girish
managed the whole thing in such a wonderful manner
(by extempore prompting) that nobody could feel
about the loss of the dramatised book and the play
with Matilal Sur as Kapalika and Mahendra Bose as
Navakumar was a great success. This was, however,
advertised as the Grand Farewell night or f the last
night of the seasons and the "National" closed its
performance and next pursued the Hindu National
at Dacca.

The Hindu National, however, had already met
with a hearty reception at Dacca. They lived at
the house of Babu Radhika Mohan Roy, brother

* Natyamandir, p. 919, Vol. I.
I- Vide, Amrita Bazar Patrika and Indian Daily
8th May, ig73-

of Mohini Babu, Zeminder and Banker of Dacca
and showed their performances on the East Bengal
stage of which we mentioned before, and the English
Band of Nawab Gani Mia's house and the concert
of Mohini Babu's house were in attendance. Amrita
Babu says :

"Babus Kali Prasanna Ghose, Editor, Bandhav and
Abhaya Charan Das (Eai Bahadur), Dr. Kedar-
nath Das used to attend the performances and
the public appreciated it. Mr. Kemp of the
Bengal Times, however, made jesting criticism.
We also satirised Kemp in a farce : Mr-
Rampini, the then Joint Magistrate, and Mr.
Witheral, D. S. P. joined in laughter/'*

It goes without saying that the Dacca people
appreciated the performances very much, f Nava-
<njttak was also played there.

The Hindu National had also already been
successful in enlisting popular sympathy at Dacca
and some people had purchased season tickets.
The "National" with Mati Sur, Mahendra Bose, Gopal
Das and others under the management of Rajendra
Pal and Dharmadas Sur came now and advertised :

The Real National has now arrived/' and
showed performances at Jivan Babu's compound.

* Reminiscences of Amrita Bose, p. 129. Puralan

Pvasanga.
\ Amrita Bazar Patrika> 22nd May, 1873*

215

They could not, however, (being late in the field)
secure much of the patronage of the local gentry.
The worst of it was that Girish Chandra Ghose,
whose co-operation they had counted much, could
not join the party as Mr. Atkinson did not grant
him leave. Both the sections suffered losses but
National suffered much greater and had to come
back by mortgaging the scenes with Hindu National.
Both parties returned to Calcutta and National
used to have rehearsals at Bhuvan Babu's garden
house on the Ganges, while Hindu National did at
Nagen or Ardhendu's house.

One good result, however, came out of the evil
Prosperity divided them, but adversity united again.
Thus, on the 10th of July, 1873, united they gave
a benefit performance of Krsnakumari Natak * in
aid of the orphans of the poet Madhu Sudan Dutt 5
after his untimely death, which melancholy event
took place on the 29th June, 1873. The united
troupe played in full strength at the house of Raja
of Dighapatia (Rajbati) during the first-rice cere-
mony of Kumar Pramadanath. This was the first
instance of the party's going outside on contract,
Girish, Dharmadas, Amritalal and Nagendranath
not having accompanied it. There were four per-
formances at Dighapatia.

* Indian Daily News, A. B. Patrika, loth July, 1873
and Hindu Patriot, I4th July, 1873,

216

On the way, there were more performances at
Rajshahi. The troupe staged some plays in Sept.,
1873, at Berhampur, Murshidabad, under the name
of "National." Babu Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
was then a Deputy Magistrate here. He became
intimate with the party.*

At this time Nagen Babu and Dharmadas Babu
got some money by showing performances at home.
They next joined Babu Bhuvan Mohan Neogi.

On the 7th Dec., both National and Hindu
National celebrated the first anniversary of Public
Theatre under the presidency of Raja Kali Krishna
Dev Bahadur, when Babu Manamohan Bose deli-
vered a very interesting lecture.f

The troupe in the old Jorasanko site staged some
dramas: Hemalata Natak\ (a martial drama) by
Haralal Ray on the 13th December, 1873, Kamale
Kamiril on the 20th and Hemlata again on the 27th,
when The Great National Theatre a permanant
structure worthy of the name of a stage, was built
and of this we shall speak later on.

* Ardhendu Babu's reminiscences, Rangabhumi l nth
Falgun, 1307.

\ Englishman, loth Dec., 1873 and Madhyastha, Paush,
1280.

\ Hemalata Nataka : the parts of Satyashakha, Hema-
lata, Bikram Singh and Kamala Devi were very
well done / the performance was a great success.

A, B. Patrika^ i8th Dec., 1873.

217

Boiled down it comes to this, that in the face of
the aristocratic theatres, Girish conceived the plan
of having performances for the middle class men
and matured it with all success and Dinabandhu
supplying him with dramas, Girish worked wonders.
Indeed, Neemchand laid the foundation for the
future stage of Bengal.

During the time of the next drama, Lllavatl the
stage was named "National" and this again became
"public theatre" with Niladarpana. But it is an
undeniable fact that it became prominent, when it
was open to the public, but Girish had left his
connection then.

Chief in the first two dramas, but absent in the
third ! No doubt, he did not take part, out of a
principle, but his spirit worked there. Nlladarpana
was chosen by him, parts were coached by him, and
his disciples, who appeared in the first two, appeared
in the third as well. Dharmadas Sur, too, was the
stage manager in all the three dramas.

Further, because they could not do without him,
they came to him, when Krsnakumarl NaJtak
was put on the bill within first two months, greeted
him as their guide with all persuation and selected
him as their arbitrator, when disputes arose. Indeed,
Girish Chandra was the master spirit from whom
all inspiration came, and the National theatre was
like a son to him, whom the father begot, nursed him,

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218

gave him a training but was absent, when the formal
Namakarana Ceremony was performed. In short,
Girish Chandra Ghose was really the Father of the
Bengali Stage. The late lamented Amritalal Bose,
himself a great actor and brilliant play-wright, used
to call himself, Mahendralal, Matilal, and his name-
sake Bel Babu as moonlight deriving its splendour
from the sun-like Girish. Thus, he used always to
refer about him :

Drunken, his feet shaking, when
Nime Dutt appears on stage ;
Bengal first saw then
Her first stage father.

In the next Volume of this book, we shall find
how the huge contribution in all kinds of dramas
came from Girish, how he pleased the audience with
his masterly acting, which was no inferior to that of
a Garrick and Roscius and how he founded the
National Stage (again), the Star Theatre, the
Minerva Theatre, the Emerald Theatre, the Kohinoor
Theatre and ultimately turned "Minerva" into an
ideal stage of Bengal. But even without considering
those, we may undoubtedly call Girish Chandra
Ghose as the Father of the Bengali Stage from the
time of Sadhavar

Chapter IX

Bengal Theatre

The year 1873 marks the stage of further inno-
vation in the Bengali Stage. On the Sixteenth
August, 1 873, the "Bengal Theatre" was started at 9/3,
Beadon Street, Calcutta, mainly through the exertion
of Babu Sarat Chandra Ghose, whom the readers
have found in the role of tiakuntala at Chhatu
Babu's House. He found an able co-ad jutor in the
well known actor Babu Beharilal Chatterjee, who
had already figured in Kullnaknlasarvasva at the
house of Jay ram Bysak of Charakdanga, in
VwuMimhaHi at the house of Babu Kali Prasanna
Sinha and also in tiakuntala at Chhatu Babu's house,
in female characters in all the three plays. It was
at the last place, Sarat Babu met him and became
friends. It was this Behari Babu, who had played
the part of Bheemsingh in the Shobhabazar Raj
House, in 1867, and as Indraneel in Padmavati
and thus on the Bengali stage, he figured promi-
nently long before Babu Girish Chandra Ghose
came into the dramatic field.

The performance at Jorasanko by the National
Theatrical company created a desire in Sarat Babu's

2^0

mind to start a public theatre and through the able
collaboration of Beharilal, began to mature his plans.
The open space in front of Chhatu Babu's house,
where now the Beadon square post office stands, was
taken lease of by Sarat Babu from his maternal
grandfather Chhatu Babu and the stage was built
there. The roof consisted of ordinary tiles and the
plinth was kancha (of earth). Sarat Babu was the
proprietor and Behari Babu became manager. The
combination of both the organising capacity of
Sarat Babu and the qualities of Beharilal as an
actor, master and dramatist, made the Bengal
Theatre popular and Beharilal remained the life long
manager of the company, till April, 1901, when the
Ilengal Theatre had to be closed, owing to the
lamented death of Beharilal. None continued to be
the manager of a company at one stretch so long, as
Beharilal. .Bengal Theatre has, therefore, a conti-
nuous and growing record of its own, and Behari-
lal too must have his own place in the history of
the Bengali stage, which is certainly not inconsider-
able.

Actresses on the stage

iJMigal Theatre, however, is credited with making
certain reforms on the stage for which it deserves
thanks. To turn theatre into a school of art, it is
necessary to introduce female artists on the stage,
as male actors can not do it for any length of

221

time, boys from respectable classes can not be
available and the standard is not reached even
by the best boy artists. It was not also possible
at that time to secure decent or respectable
women for this purpose. Actresses had, therefore,
to be secured from the women of the town and until
and unless cultured women of broader views come
forward from respectable families, theatres have no
other option but to go on with actresses of the
present status only. It was further when the
National Theatre was started, we find some weighty
arguments in the Education Gazette from one
Khsetra Nath Bhattacherjee :

"The more such theatres are started, acting will be
improved and dramas composed in competition.
The present theatres had no female artists on
the staff. This will be soon considered as a
defect and means will be sought to remedy this
defect. Some of the prostitutes are trying to
receive education. If a few of such educated
women are secured, happy consequences will
outweigh any mischief done.''

These opinions carried much weight and the
times also helped the introduction. It was at this
time that Babu Ram Chand Mukherjee, Dewan
of the famous millionaire Babu Ashutosh Dev had
an opera party and some women appeared as
actresses and singers there. The Oriental Theatre
of Howrah also introduced females from the 15th

222

February, 1873 and the next step was taken by the
National Liceum from the 7th Feb. # of the same
year. We have also an account that from 7th May,
1873, a party opened Vidyasundar under the name
of Great India Theatre, where some actresses
appeared in the roles of Vidya and Malini.*

From the very beginning, Sarat Babu, through the
suggestion of Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Pandit
Satyavrata Samasrami and Mr. 0. C. Dutt, ( Sarat
Babu's brother-in-law), introduced females in the
in the Bengal Theatre and four actresses were taken
at first the person of Elokeshi, Jogattarini,
Shyamasundari and Golap, though only two in the
roles of Devajanl and Devika (Sarmistha's attendant)
appeared on the stage on the opening night, i.e.) the
16th August. Thus, we find that as Lebedeff s
theatre in 1795, Nabin's Theatre of 1833 and the
above two theatres, were all very short-lived, Bengal
Theatre alone is credited, as being the pioneer
to introduce the important change. It is said that
Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, who was one of
the patrons and supporters of Sarat Babu from the
time his Theatre was contemplated, severed his
connection with it, at the introduction of females.
The public and local papers were also indignant
over it.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt wrote Maya-kanan
* Vide, Indian Daily News of contemporaneous period.

223

for representation in the opening night and the
company purchased this piece and Bewli Ki Dhanur-
goon from the author, but as the poet's death marked
it as an omen (indeed, with death it began and with
death it closed), they postponed it for a future
performance and put &armistha on the boards for
the first night, applying all the sale proceeds to the
aid of the orphans, left helpless by the death of
their guide, patron and philosopher Madhusudan,
the illustrious poet of Bengal.

Now, as to the success of the play and other
details, we would here quote the remarks of a corres-
pondent S. N. M. of Nandabag, Calcutta in
Englishman * who wrote on the 19th Aug., 1873 :

"On Saturday last, I went to see the first perform-
ance of Bengal Theatre in Beadon Street in
front of the house of Ashutosh Dev* It is
erected in the fashion of Lewis Lyceum Theatre
Hall. On Saturday last, the celebrated Sarmistha
was brought on the stage for the benefit of the
orphans of Michael M. S. Dutt and for the first
time women were introduced as actresses. On
Saturday last, there were only two females,
who represented Devajani and Devika (Sharmis-
tha's attendant). Their motions and speech
were not quite easy and free. One Sagarika
did well. Sukracharyya and Madhavya did
well. Jayanti was, no doubt, gorgeously dressed,
but was clumsy in movements. Great praise

* Vide } Englishman, 2yth August, 1873.

224

is due to Babu Sarat Chandra Ghose, manager
of the theatre and Babu Pyari Mohan Roy,
Honorary Secretary for their noble exertions
in the opening of the Theatre for the enter-
tainment of the general public."

The Englishman of 18th August also had
the following :

"Theatricals are now the rage in Calcutta. A
Bengali Theatrical Company has been formed...
On last Saturday 1 6th, the theatre was opened
...The Gallery is well arranged and decent.
Michael M. S. Dutt's classical drama Sarmistha
was selected for the first appearance. The
actors performed their parts very creditably.
The two women who were professional women
were most successful we wish the drama would
have done without actresses. 9 '

Amrita Hazar Patrika of 13th Bhadra, 1280
B. S., 28th Aug., 1873 writes :

A New Theatre has been opened in Calcutta by
the mime of Bengal Theatre. Sarmistha was
staged there for the last two Saturdays. The
Theatrical Company has built a big house for
performance and has made many excellent
arrangements for the audience. They intro-
duced two women on the stage in the parts
of Dovajani and Devika. Amongst the actors
everyone except Jayanti acquitted himself well.
When 6armistha was written, there was really
no drama in Bengali language at that time,
which was not permeated by Sanskrit. That
Bengali is no more/'

225

They next staged Mayakanon, which represents
author's tragic life, on August and September,
CaJcsurdan, on the 5th October, Durgesnandinl on
the 20th October, 1873, in which Behari Babu
played the part of Abhiram Swami and Haridas
Das as Osman, whose stature, movements and the
representation of the part were unique and have not
been surpassed by any actor up to now including
even Dani Babu.

The sales, however, were not satisfactory at the
beginning, but the theatre began to get packed up
houses, when on the 13th December, 3873, was put
on boards "Mohanta on the stage" Ish ! Mohantar
Eld Kajj representing how Elokeshi a youthful lady
of prepossessing beauty living at Harinabhi in the
district of Hugly was coaxed, cajoled and seduced
to become a concubine of Mohanta Madhav Giri,
through the assistance of the step-mother of the girl,
against her consent, how the girl made a clean
breast of every thing to her husband Nabin, when
he came to the house of the father-in-law and how
the husband, not finding a Palki to carry his wife
through the foul play of the Mohanta, exclaimed
"This peerless beauty and youth of my darling to
be tested by a monkey !" and hacked her to
pieces with a fishing dao (Bati), how he immediately
appeared before the police and made true and full
disclosures of all the incidents, sticking to the con-

29

226

fession before the Magistrate and how he was tried
at the Hugly Sessions and sentenced to transpor-
tation for life. # Babu Beharilal Chatterjee, both
in appearance and representation in the role of the
Mohanta, was full of life.

This was the most sensational play at that time,
which drew crowds into the theatre as the tale of
the day was Mohanta and Elokeshi episode. His-
tory, however, repeated itself and more than half a
century after, the affairs relating to the Mohanta
also became the talk of the day, and the people not
meekly submitting to the villainies of the head of
a sacred place, and awakened to a sense of self-
respect fought against the powers and riches of an
unscrupulous Mohanta and at last forced him to
come to his knees and submit to popular demands
in September, 1924, and the leader of the struggle
was no other person than the great and illustrious
leader of the country, Deshabandhu Chittaranjan
Das, but the chapter after was a cloudy one for
Bengal

In the year 1874, Vidya-sicndar of Maharaj
Jatindra Mohan Tagore, Malatl-inadhav on 21st
May, Navanatak on 6th June, Padmavatl on 4th
July, Pum-vikram on 22nd August, Ajmer Kumari
on 18th September, Banger Pamjay on 14th Nov.
were played. In this way the Bengal Theatre won

* Nabin was subsequently released from jail on mercy.

227

the praise of all in their attempts to entertain the
public and was able to secure patronage of big
persons through the untiring exertion of Sarat Babu
and Beharilal.

In the year 1875, there was some change in the
management. Towards the beginning of the year, on
the 6th February, Babu Nagendra Nath Banerjee,
Kiran Ch. Banerjee and Amrita lal Bose and few
actors from the Great National Opera Company
joined the Bengal Theatre and performed Sail Ki
Kalankinl on the 6th February.* But about the
time when Malhar Rao Gaehver was staged on the
22nd May, Amrita Lal Bose left for Great National
again. Nagendra Babu then formed an independent
group under the name of New Aryan Theatre and
with the help of Babu Upendra Nath Das staged
his drama Surendra-vinodini Natalc^ After this
Upendra Babu too joined the Great National and we
should take our readers there.

* Englishman, 6th February, 1875. This had been
played in Great National in 1874 before.

t A. B. Patrika, I9th August, 1875 and Englishman^
1 7th August, 1875.

Chapter X

The Great National Theatre

The other important public theatre was the
Great National Theatre, which opened on the 31st
December, 1873, with Eamya Kanon and was
associated with the name of Babu Bhuban Mohan
Neogy to whom all credit of having the permanent
stage of the National Theatre must go and who was
protector of it for a number of years. It was built
of wood after the pattern of Lewis Theatre at
Chowringhee under the supervision of Babu
Dharmadas Sur, the proprietor Bhuvan Mohan
Neogy having spent Rs. 13000/- for the purpose.
It is said that Bhuvan Babu, his relation Dharmadas
and Babu Nagendra Nath Banerjee went to the
Bengal Theatre to see a performance of "Mohanta
on the stage" and were very much disappointed when
they were not allowed to see the Manager after they
failed to get tickets at any price, the rush on the
night being very great. Bhuvan Mohan, a youth of
generous but lavish spirits, had just inherited large
property and had, as we have seen before, a great

229

taste for theatre. The result of the misunder-
standing was the establishment of the Great
National Theatre with Dharmadas Sur as Manager
on a site which still adorns a flourishing and support-
ing stage with the Minerva Theatre. The land
belonged to one Mahendra Das and a lease of it
was taken for 5 years by Dharmadas at a monthly
rent of Rs. 40/- in Neogi's name. The possession
of the land was taken on 29th September, 1873, and
scenes were painted by Dharmadas Sur with the
help of Mr- D. Garrick. *

The foundation stone was laid in Sept. 29, 1873,
under the presidency of Babu Novogopal Mitra. f

Kamyakanani was taken from a fairy tale, and
was run on a competition with Bengal's Mayafcanan,
which did not meet with much acclamation. The
welcome song was sung by 50 voices in a chorus
and a farce Young Bengal was also in the bill, but
the opening night was marked by a mishap which
forbode its future fate. It was very curious that
when the hero of the play Babu Amritalai Bose
was worshipping the Goddess Kali before the sacri-

* Dharmadas's Autobiography.

f Englishman, 3rd Oct., 1873.

t Amrita Babu says it was composed by the joint
exertion of himself, Nagendra Babu, his brother
Devendra Babu and another Devendra, a Medical
College student. Vide % also his reminiscences.

230

ficial fire on the stage, people all round cried out
'fire, fire', the wings having caught fire elsewhere.
There was a great commotion amongst the audience,
who began to find out the easiest means to escape.
The accident was due to the fact that no chimney
was set in on the gas box by the side of the window
and owing to high pressure, fire broke out. The
loss, however, was not much, slight repairs having
restored the whole thing. There was, however, no
further repetition of this drama, as it was con-
sidered inauspicious.

The spectators made a great clamour for the
return of money, but were pacified with great diffi-
culty by Ardhendu Babu, who was present here not
as actor but as a sympathiser. Fire is a great curse
to theatres. We have seen how Chowringhee and
Sansoucie Theatres were closed down owing to fire
and about half a century after in 1922, another sad
fire completely burnt Minerva down, though the
proprietor with great tact and perseverance was able
to open it again at the same site.

Babu Nagendra Banerjee was the Secretary of
the above Great National and his brother Devendra
Babu, a Director.

On the 1st January, 1874, there was a perform-
ance of Niladarpana, held at the Fancy Fair, of
Belvedere as the Bengal Theatre, conducted with
actresses, was not considered with favour. On the

231

10th January, Vidhava-vivaha Natalc was played
and Pranaya-parlksa was played on the 17th Jan.,
when the scenic grandeur was really marvellous.

On the 3rd January, 1874, The Old National
Theatre also played Nlladarpana and Ami ta
Unmadinl 'I am a mad woman' to conclude
Mohanta in a penitent state and the most successful
scenes of "Bharat-Mata" and "Cymbeline" ( Kusuin
Kumari) on the 17th January, and also Manomohan
Boso's Pranaya-pariksa These performances,
though enacted in a rickety and shabby stage and not
fetching much money, were really wonderful as the
famous Amrita Bazar Patrika of 15th Jan., 1874
(3rd Magh, 1280, B. S.) speaks of both the National
and Great National :

"The Great National has got its own theatre-
building and stage and scenes are very nice.
The National has no house and its scenes are
shabby and require a change. The Orchestra
of Great National consists in the English Band
but all the same is not sweet. The Orchestra
of the National is sweet and one would like it
to continue, and above all, the actors of the
National are so well trained that they can not
be matched with those of the National.*'

Thus, while Great National, inspite of its house
and scenes, could not make much impression on the
audience, and while Bengal's Durges-nandim,, with
Sarat Chandra Ghose, an expert rider on horseback,

232

was drawing crowded houses, Girish Chandra
Ghosh's help was considered indispensably necessary
and he too ungrudgingly rendered his services. On
the 24th January, Krsnakuman Natak was staged
and Kapalkundala was staged with great success on
7th Feb., 1874. Girish then dramatised two well
known novels of Mr. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee,
Mrnalinl and Visavrltsa. These two dramas kept
up the imagination of the spectators for some time
and Girish also coached the parts and appeared in
leading roles. All artists of both "National" and
"Great National" gathered at the Great National
Stage under the leadership of Girish and enacted a
performance, which has ever remained incomparable.
MrnaLinl was staged on the 14th Feb., 1874, and
the cast was as follows :

Pashupati ... Girish Chandra Ghosh.

Hrisikesh ... Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi.

Hem Chandar ... Nagendra Nath Banerjee.

Digvijay ... Amritalal Bose.

Byomkesh ... Amritalal Mukherjee (Bel Babu)

Baktier Khiliji ... Mahendralal Bose.

Janardan ... Radha Prasad Basak.

Mrinalini ... Basanta Kumar Ghosh.

Girijaya ... Ashutosh Bandyopadhyaya.

Manorama ... Kshetra Mohan Ganguli.

Mynalini ... Mahendra Nath Sinha.

Here Girish surpassed his Neemchand, Wood
and Bheem Singh and showed talents of a very

233

high order. Babu Amrita Lai Bose said, at Kantal-
para in 1917, during the first Bankim Sammilani,
"Girish's voice was so powerful, distinct and sonorous
and so masterly his acting that for this part alone, an
artist would have been honoured with titles in other
countries." He says also in his reminiscences,
"Girish's artistic movements in the last scene, while
he embraced Astabhuja in the flames, produced a
thrilling sensation even on us, what to speak of the
spectators." What an expression displayed in his
face when he, for the first time, got Manorama's
acquaintance in her words that she was Keshav's
daughter his own married wife ! Ardhendu also
joined Great National for the first time as Hrisikesh
and all actors did well, but special mention might be
made of Manorarna of whom the advertisement used
to run as "Look look to your Manorama, she
jumps at the fire !"

As a dramatist also there was indication of
Girish's genius, when on the last scene Pasupati was
frantic for Manorama saying, "Leave me, leave,
Manorama is in the room, she must be saved/'
This was Girish's invention.

The party next staged Visavrksa on the 7th
March, 1874, with Girish as Nagendra Nath and
when Kapalalciin<lala was again staged on the 4th
April, 1874, Babu Amrita Lai Bose said :

"Nagen Babu was both a handsome person and a
good actor. He rendered the part of Nava-

30

234

kumar with great credit. Matilal's Kapalik was
superb. None has been able to surpass him
upto now in his Torap and Kapalik. Bel Babu
and Kshetra Babu did marvellous, the former as
Kapalaknndalii and the latter as Manorama.
These two used to monopolise the main female
characters. Bel Babu was without a rival in
emotional and Kshetra Babu in mild female
characters."

Kamalini (or Daughter of a Kulin) was staged
on the 30th May, 1874, when the theatre
remained in abeyance for some time, travelling in
MafussiL * once or twice, after which we come to
the period of great transition on the stage*

Inspite of the marvellous acting by Girish and
his colleagues, the Great National laboured under
serious disadvantages in acting without female
actresses and Bengal Theatre therefore began to
command a greater sale. Diirgesa-nandint was played
here on the 20th Dec., 1873 in competition with
its rival, but besides female actresses, Babu
Sarat Ghosh's "Jagat Sinha" at The Bengal was a
treat. His princely figure and his dexterity as a
rider on the stage made the performance more
attractive. Then again when Mrnalinl was staged
at the Bengal theatre also (the manuscripts accord-
ing to some being supplied by Babu Kiran Chandra
Banerjee, who appeared as Pashupati), the songs of

* Sadharam, 5th July, 1874.

235

Golapsundari (afterwards Sukumari Dutt) used to
produce a thrill to the audience. The Great
National began, thus, to fall down in competition.
Dharmadas could not meet the situation ; so in his
place Nagendra Babu was appointed the Manager,
with his brother Devendra Nath Banerjee as Direct-
or. The absence of female characters being thus
keenly felt, the Great National in Devendra
Nath's Opera 8 all Id Kalahldnl or Is she chaste
or not * staged on Sept., 14th, 1874 introduced the
following actresses Kajkumari, Kshetramani, Jadu-
manr, Luxmimani, Narayani and Harimati.

Our readers will excuse us for making some
references here about these actresses. Rajkumari
as a heroine was successful, but of Kshetramani it
may be said that none equalled her in histrionic
arts. On a later occasion His Excellency Lord
Dufferin, the Viceroy of India and Sir Rivers
Thompson, the Lieutenant Governor, on seeing her
play the part of Jhee (maid servant) in the farce of
Vivahabibhrat of Amritalal, congratulated her on
the success she achieved, remarking, very few actresses
could equal her in acting even in England. In comic
parts she was in all respects a match to Ardhendu
Sekhar and the two together could reproduce
Pantomimes admirably, sometimes on prompting
and sometimes without it and in tragic parts she

* A. B, Patrika } i;th Sept., 1874.

236

surpassed other colleagues. For her, to represent
best art, one pose or expression was quite enough.
As an orphan poor girl leading an old beggar in
Sarat-sarojini, finding no juice in a piece
of dried sugarcane and disgust on the occasion
thereby, used to be shown by one look only.

Sometimes after, Kadambini also joined this
theatre and was set up for leading parts. But the
next two actresses who soon joined the Great
National, Sukumari from Bengal, and Binodini just
fresh (the latter being still alive), were historically
important. Both rose to the top of the profession
and Binodini was once considered to be the Prima
donna of the Bengali Stage.

Sail ki Kalankini with Raja in the role of
Radhika was much appreciated and was soon
followed by other performances, which have become
matters of history now. We shall relate those in
the next chapter.

About its success, Girish says :

Great National won much reputation by staging
Sati ki Kalahkim under the direction of Madan
mohan Burman. *

Indeed, Bhuvan Neogi, the proprietor, spared no
pains or money to make the play a success, but the
introduction of women was not agreeable to

* Girish's preface to Binodini's autobiography.

237

Dharmadas and Ardhendu, who went out under
the leadership of Matilal Sur and showed some
performances at Dacca, Berhampore, Krishna-
nagore, Ranaghat, Birbhum and Bogra under the
name "National", but as Ardhendu's mother was
in death-bed, he was helped by Bhuvan Mohan and
was not allowed any more to go outside.* He too
joined the theatre with women.

Next, Puruvikram f spread reputation far and
wide but we reserve our comment for the next chapter
and other performances do not deserve mention
except Rudrapal, which was a translation of Macbeth,
and on the first night (31st Oct., 1874), Colonel
Hyde was present and the advertisement ran as
"Macbeth, with an original music from Lockes."
Rani Oilabila, a very difficult part, was rendered by
Kshetramani in Piiruvikram.

From monetary considerations, however, these
two dramas could not interest the spectators much,
and they wanted another opera like Sail H Kalan-
Hni and Ananda Kanan by Lakshmi Narayan
Chakravarty, brought on the stage on 14th and 21st
Nov.,} 1874, that fetched them some money. A review

* Rangabhumi, zy& March, 1901.

t Rangabhumi, 23rd March, 1901, Ardh endu's remini-
scences. On that night of Puurvikram^ Bengal
played Durgesnandim and Opera Troubles,

\ Englishman, 24th Nov., 1874.

238

by Englishman of this opera gives a bit of con-
temporary history.

"The Great National Theatre The opera Ananda
Kanan (The Bower of Bliss) or Madaner
Digvijaya was performed at the National
Theatre for the second time on Saturday last
before a good, though not a crowded house.
The performance was fairly done, the actors
and actresses acquitting themselves creditably.
Among them the following deserve special men-
tion Rati and Sauti represented by Jadumani,
Kavita and Kamala by Raj Kumari, Ahmika by
Khatoo, Chapalata by Haridashi, Lila by Kadu,
Sangit by Hari Charan Banerjee, Madan by
Suresh Mitter, Basanta by Nagendra Nath
Banerjee, Aviveka by Ardhendu Mustafi and
Narayan by Amrita Lai Bose."

Both Satl Id Kalankinl and Ananda Kanan
bringing some money, Nagen Babu considered, success
was due to him and insisted on an agreement being
drawn by the proprietor, that in case the latter
dismissed him, an indemnity of Rs. 20000/- would
have to be paid. Bhuvan Babu refusing the proposal,
Nagendra Nath left the theatre along with his
brother Kiran Chandra Banerjee, Babu Amrita Lai
Bose, Madan Mohan Burman, Jadumani and
Kadambini.*

* On the gth Jany, 1875, at the Lewis Theatre Royal
under the name "Great National Opera Company'*,
Nagendra Babu did marvellously as the drunkard in

As we describedlin page 227, they afterwards
joined the Bengal Theatre.

Great National experienced a bitter time with
this change and we can not enlighten our readers
about internal troubles more than what appeared
in the Indian Daily News of 2nd Dec., 1874 :

"A correspondent mentions that a warrant has been
issued against one prominent character connect-
ed with it, for his apprehension on a charge of
criminal misappropriation, the amount of defal-
cation is stated to be Rs. 10000/-, which is pro-
bably an exaggerrtion as is also the statement
that a young native gentleman has been induced
to incur debts, in connection with the theatre,
to the extent of Rs. 50000/-/'

There was really a suit and a very prominent
notary of the town (afterwards a title-holder) was
indicted for perjury ( making false statements
about Bhuvan Mohan).

Satrusanhar was staged on 12th Dec., and
Vanger SukJiavasan, on 26th Dec., 1874

Dharmadas was next taken in as the manager,
who now formed a strong corps with Mahendra
Lai, Matilal, Bel Babu, Kshetramani and Golap
Sundari.

Kincit Jalayoga and Jadumani as Radhika in Sail
ki Kalahkim. Maharaja of Jodhpore was present,
Englishman, I2th Jan, 1875.

240

Sometime after, Amritlal Bose, Madan Mohan
Burman and Kadambini also returned as stated
before, to the Great National.

Dharmadas got the right of staging a new drama
Samtsarojini from the pen of Babu Upendra Nath
Das, although known as written by one Durgadas
Babu. It was staged at the Great National on
2nd Jan., 1875, under the distinguished presence and
patronage of H. H. the Maharaja Harendra Krishna
Singh of Bettia. The house was crowded to suffo-
cation and on the 2nd night a large number of intend-
ing visitors had to go disappointed for want of
accommodation and the parts were very well rend-
ered. It was unanimously pronounced to be one
of the most original and powerful productions of the
age. Shooting on the stage was shown for the
first time.*

In a later issue, the Englishman praised highly
Mahendra Babu ( representing Sarat Kumar),
Kiran Chandra Banerjee, Jagattarini, Binduvasini
and Kshetramani and specially the songster Jadu-
mani.f

After having played one or two stage shows, the
Great National, with the assistance of Babu Girish
Chandra Das, an officer of the Calcutta Currency,
then on special deputation, went to Delhi in March,

* A. B. Patrika, I4th Jan, 1874.
f Englishman, lyth Aug., 1875.

241

1875. The party stayed at Delhi for about 10 days,
then went to Lahore, stayed for about a month and
created an impression there. It then came
to Meerut, to Agra, Brindavan and the whole
party then came to Lucknow.*

A portion of the company showed performances
at 'Home' also, under Mahendra Bose, as manager.

The return of Dharmadas's party in July, 1875,
after a successful tour was noticed in the pages of
the Englishman as follows :

"The portion of the company, lately giving so many
successful performances in Delhi, Lahore etc.,
so favourably noticed in the papers having just
returned to Calcutta > the performances hence-
forth will be on grand scale- The orchestra
under the direction of Madan Mohan Burman
is a charming one."

On 3rd July, 1875, Padmini by Mahendra
Basu was staged for his benefit, Mahendra Babu
himself appearing in the role of Bheem Sinha. The
well known "Bharat Sangit" song was sung by Jadu-
mani. Gopal Chandra Mazumdar appeared as
Alauddin.

After this, for about 4 or 5 months the theatre
remained in the hands of Babu Krishnadhan
Banerjee of Shyampukur as lessee, with Babu
Mahendra Lai Bose as his Manager. The reason of

* Indian Mirror, yth April, 1875.

31

242

this change was that Bhuvan Balm .by .the lon

lifli; iltuinn i; KMxTc m . .. . | tf| ' n.)/)

absence ot the company not only lost at home but

>Ullr),.,lf>!l! )1 .'',1,'iH iJ< I- "MUMII JIC |j')Kyi!>

also did not get anything frpm abroad, though , the
ulpdv/ oil t Tun.., {" vi;Dim<I ,/iivT u) ^inwJM a)
Manager was said to nave made profits and in

j- ,11 ii. t -"*'il'''iliJ ut. 'JiriJ;-> Il'iij) vl'U;<l

disgust he leased his theatre to a third party/ ^ '

i. ..Beriarmanoes,.. it.. was s seen i that

was in debt, and unable to payment.

ft I rYtolv HI /('"'"a '- -:.! s i'V.n;,iKLI<> irmt'jj tyl I.

tuvan Babu, therefore, took the theatre back into
,<i aojjcu Mill m Jcu'V >vw - invl Ijj-P-^V'4^ c "I'*')*!;
ais hahos and made Babus U peijdra TN ath .Das, and

Amrita Lai Bose as Director and Manager, 'respect-

$MJ.

Great 1 -Notiondl i'^h^eatre (btaged/^tZfi/'a^curn^

^l; n I8^ff ariil T^HMa "[BtifoJiW b^' lo ferajendra
'Kumar feiby on''^ 'JanJ^'lSfft.: feut l> ^tie inauspi-
cious ^y in the for^uijes oi, Bhuvan Mphan was

in ascendancy and Jie fell intid such 7 - great * 'cfifficultier
UiJ'5iU r/uufoin;!/! Jibuti '<ul jot J^mj;) ^jiv/ UH;<,|
thaj; he Ips^nonev, e^iergj^ and spjinf^and the resul

was that ne nad 10 clpsp tneatr^ ere %ng. J *Wc

"V ! wv'1* ^ Ml/ ' ^ l;7 ^Ji n *i K ll!-- nii ^ >>'><1U" nv/on>iJhv/
snail take our readdf s to the next cnapter for those

ti; JV^U'^llUi 'irJuifuxuIA . inlMirjr)
incidents of great public interest

* Englishman, 7th August, 1875.

I <.

XI

PERFORMANCES ACT

tJwut

For some time and .with OTTO tor /fial sinoft Mr.

, Nnth Hns <nnrl ffohii Amritn T.aT RAQA fnnlr

to, stqge , .draroas ..of smsational .. mtemsfe

acanired a^notorifitv. Imndonts ftiieftfificted in nnioJc

and toeiJUi9apatiaJriertoj:mance>s
the free. and. fair growth of ikeisiaae^ was r soom

ip stiiif in JLUfuc fuicf it

ve^table word of t JJamQclQs ^even today ; on the

Bengali Stage." The, history of thib period is a very

> .fH;nc( tiv^f *' '^iMiiJi) /-;<ni; Mldno'ft Mil) Jllll .;J"Huj

memorable one, and we propQse tp narrate the cau

"

L

^iiu. in, y ,,j;m'm 'm<71 vH Trtl P^itti''^* W^o,/! tini
repeated, in, the, Gre^t isational, Theatre also. . It

Tnilw *>iJj -xl <ijl>,i// 1 ^fUyi.^ ^H'M;ML>'I. HnJ TKI In

was reallv a drama or the national, interest. It

244

touched every Bengali heart. It stirred up the
audience both Indians and Europeans alike, and
sometimes they were beside themselves with emo-
tion. The Great National Theatre went to different
places in 1875 with Dharmadas Babu as manager.
It gave its performances at Agra, Delhi, Mathura,
Brindavan, Lucknow and everywhere the scenes of
oppression by Messrs. Wood and Rogue upon the
innocent ryots created great sensation amongst the
audience. When they appeared on the stage in
their respective roles, Babu Nilmadhav Chakravarty
as Golak Bose, Nagendra Banerjee as Navin, Babu
Ardhendu Shekhar as Mr. Wood, Babu Matilal Sur
as Torap, Babu Avinash Chandra Kar, Assistant
Manager as Mr. Rogue, Kshetramani as Savitri,
Kadambini as Sairindhri, Binodini as Saralata,
Lakshmi as Kshetramoni and Narayani as Padi-
mayrani, everybody was pleased as to the manner
in which they acquitted themselves in their alloted
parts. But the trouble arose during a performance
at Lucknow, when Mr. Rogue fell upon Kshetramani,
big with child and the poor girl piteously begged
to be released crying in utter helpless manner and
saying, "Saheb, father ( Saheb Tumi Amar Baba ),
I am your daughter, leave me, thou art my father,"
but Rogue dragged her by force brutally taunting
at her last remarks saying, "I wish to be the father
of your child" ( "Tomar Cheler Baba haite iccha

245

hoeche")- At that time Torap entered the room
in company with Navin Madhav, by breaking open
the window-panes and while Navin raised Kshetra-
mani in his arms and departed and Torab slapped
and kicked Mr. Rogue, the European audience was
so much excited that some of them actually ran
towards the stage to fall upon Matilal Sur, who
appeared in the role of Torap. They were, at last,
pacified with great difficulty. The District Magis-
trate ordered the performance at once to be stopped,
advised the party to start for Calcutta, and with
police help made them leave the station peace-
fully, with their bags and baggages. *

That was the stir, Nlldarpana created amongst the
audience, yet strictly speaking it was not a national
drama in the sense it had no political goal to achieve,
nor any political propaganda to make, but it laid
before the public the heartless oppression of the
indigo planters upon the helpless ryots, so that
therein might be a speedy end to all such cruelties.

The object was no doubt laudable and noble
but as we have shown in page 98, in no way it
could be called seditious, nor was it an attempt for
the political uplift of the inass^ The first national
dramatic piece in the aforesaid sense was, therefore,
"Bhart-matar Bilap", or the lamentations of
Mother India, staged on the 15th February,

* Reminiscences of Binodini Dasi.

r;

1873 at the Hindu Mela . ( Fair ) , under f th(

moo'j oilt J>yT>tnL uiriol i uin1 liult JA .fofbso
auspices ,oti the National f Thjeatre. f If representec
WJk d m f l; 'j' j(f V 1 ' r vj;fiiml/, nr/j;/i mi//, vffiqjffo'i ni
Mother India, pale r .and. morose at the miseries,

poverty and , degradation or.ner sons -awL pathetic
waqiiPj uiriol /IHH; b'U'n;qiJ> Jan; *W'n;*nMn immi
and q^uite reluctant to r make any c ?ff?rt j^atspyer.

The ft famous soiig " Malina'f MuKna^a^dram
jBtarate^TpmarL ( Inuia^ ithv moopiike iace
is dkrli: with sorron ), used to ri^ve tne, audience
ro.teaKS- f Ipis.piepe^was written at tne guggestion
of Babu pisnir Kumar Gnosn,, me ''ipnous rounder

(itor of Itne ^mrita ^jSazar H Palrilca 9 AiiiQug\i
im; f nj)ir)L; ) -fol j-/j;^ <>) vtmr od)

ami Hiaiior or inp j&mriwb jiazar irairiica 9 airnQUgn
iTliy/ pin; f nj)ir)L; ) -jol j'/j;^. <>t ytmi oriJ^L'^r/Tn;
printer s name only was given as ' Kiran Chandra
tf )h ' J !L nu/h;k, onl MV.CM! (uoin 'jnjini <i] < Vf,, 4 >;moq
Banerjee. The songs were oorro wed. from JThakur- 1
i i i ^ 'V>i2iU2ijio i>ni* ^Biy v*'yft flu// .yLfiji

bari, whose authorship ^as attrimitea to batyendra

, i xu rt -

bari, whose authorship "^was attribtitea to Satyendra

: ^arA * IM ..^/iun ul i;hac22K(ttvi(j Ir/uJilou van 'f//u
There, the mother sits* dark and solemn with
rMJ^jioi^^/fuqi) ^/)lhK')fl MfU, f)ilduu .ojiu 'uofoij.
f like the moon over-cast with cfouds . ot

,f(;(U ()-. ,^>TI .^x'HuJ^fl i Oil] JH>iU KKi^intl tfil>ni

sorrow, ahq resting her cheeK on her left palm ^

.^unorrr) (run, fii; ot lui' /;lri'xj-i i; ><! Irl^ira ni'/rxU

r r Her hair is f dishevelled ^and coarse ; . , , r
MicUm nm; ?>j<lf;nniiT T<woi> on <uv/ Trj[uooj!l

4 - She is clad iftrrags. , , ^ ,

ii '/nv/ on (it ,r,(f rJ^nq rn nv/oil^ uv-nil ;r// -. linl

icon bracelets she wears. on her wrists,;. ,
^Tjn m; n ^uv/ 'iyn .^noinn?)^ n'jiir/) ^rrhlnr.M

Meditation's, self.

ff)H nTi;H'

* ^4. B. Patrika, loth Falgun. 12.79, B - S '

.r/'Ktl iriiooniH )o /.vtun'M

247

Suddenly, alighting alpft tlje Sky,

And the goddess > .JJestin v. appeared i

Her graceful feet planted on a lull blown lotus.

But, lo ! she burst Jnto .tears, crying,

"Alas ! Seeing thy sorj-pwfyJ face, <^,.J2tiarata 5

Tears gijish tHrpygh n\y f .eyes i Jbdth^ay^njd i?ight.

My heart breaks seeing mee,

Thus plunged intp apt, ocean qt grj^l.

Hearing that sweet. voica She looked UP :.

But being blind with tears, * '

The sight is quite painful to see ;

Seeing that

And now she is in the aueen's palace,
Standing by the sea,"

248

"God save the queen,
May victory attend on her,
May she give shelter to all."

Thus they sang.
Then a white man red with rage,

Cried out, "Rebellion rank !"
And kicked at the children of the soil.
Mother knelt and wept.
She cursed her lamentable fate,
And wept her appeals to God.

The Amrita Bazar Patrika* published the full
play in Bengali and stated that when this piece was
performed at the Hindu Mela on the i5th Feb.,
1873, the whole audience numbering about 1500
persons shed tears and their hairs stood on their
end.

It was, as Bangadarshan (of Kartic, 1280 B. S.)
stated, "a Burlesque or allegory. Mother India, the
presiding deity of fortune, some Indians and two
Europeans, Patience and Courage were its characters.
It was a tolerably good production."

The above named drama was followed by Hema-
lata Natak by Babu Haralal Hoy, Head master,
Hare school, and was staged on the 13th December,
1873, at the Jorasanko "National." Babu Mahendra
Lai Bose appeared in the main role of Satyasakha
and Dr. R. G. Kar as Satyasakha's mother.
* loth Falgun, 1279 B. S.

249

The Great National Theatre, as we have seen
before, was started afterwards at 6, Beadon Street
and the above three dramas staged in the "National"
of the old Jorasanko were revived in the Great
National also.

We shall now confine our attention only to the
Great National.

In the year 1875, Pnni-vikram,* Bharate
Yavan and Banger Sukhavasan were staged at
the Great National Theatre on the 3rd October, 7th
November and 26th December, respectively. These
plays appealed to the patriotic feelings of the
Bengalis ; Bharate Yavan related the historic
resistance of Prithviraj against the Moslem invaders,
Banger Sukhavasan was based upon Baktiar
Khilji's conquest of Bengal and Pnru-vikram from
the pen of Jyotirindra Nath Tagore described the
heroic deeds of that heroic king Porus, who bravely
fought against Alexander the Great, Emperor of
Greece. Mahendra Lai Bose acted the part of
Alexander the Great, Nagendra Nath Banerjee that
of Porus and Srimati Kshetramani Devi that of
Ailobila, the queen. There was a song in that
drama that vibrated the patriotic cords of the
Bengali audience, and we give below a summary of
that in our English :

* Puru-vikram was produced very successfully at the

G. N. Theatre, both actors and actresses playing their

respective parts well, Englishman, 1875, 6th October.

32

250

Let the children of Bharata in one voice declare
Which land is like her ?
What hill is like the Himalayas.
Which land is so rich with

Such streams and mines of gems.' 1 '
Let us sing of her glory.
May victory ever attend on her.
There is nothing to fear.
Let us sing of her victory for ever
Where the woman is so chaste and fair
Like Sita, Savitri, Sarmistha and Damayanti ?
Let us sing of her victory.
Have you forgotten the heroes

Bhishma, Drona, Bhima and Arjuna the

brave ?
Why do you fear the enemy ?

Virtue always treads in virtue's path,
Division has made you weak,
But united will grow strong.

Thus sing of victory to Bharata,
Her countenance will again be bright.

Similarly in Scene I, Act III when king Porus
was urging his men to fight against the Greeks
reminding every one of his duty towards the
father-land, we find greater inspiration :

*In this vein the famous song of D. L. Roy in his

Shajahan ran :
Cl ln this world of ours full of wealth, bliss and corn will

you get a land like this ?"

251

"Awake, Arise !

"Look, the cruel Yavanas

"Trespass into your home ;

Be of one mind,
Liberate the Mother-land

Delay is intolerable
Advance with the banner of victory in your hand.

What is life without freedom ?
Fie on him who wants to live

Being robbed of his liberty
It is better to die,

But let Liberty and Honour live in the land.
Come and swear,

Either must win or must die-
Either kill the Yavanas

Or follow death yourself.

Then followed in quick succession other 'Nation-
al' dramas at the Great National Theatre, in 1875.

Of them the following deserve special notice,
Hlralc-curna Natalt, Sarojinl Natak and the
Surendra-vinodini, Natak* Similar other dramas
like the Malhar Rao, Virnan, the Ajmer
Kumarl and Banger Parajaya were also staged
at the Bengal Theatre.

Hiralc-curna was written by Sj. Amritalal Bose,
and was staged on the 17th June, 1875. It re-
presented the farcical 'trial* of Malhar Rao Gaekwar
of Baroda, who was forced to abdicate on the 29th
April, 1875, for having attempted to poison Col,

252

R. Phayre, British Political Agent of the Baroda
Court.

The Amrita Bazar Patrika commenting upon
the play observed that despite its good many merits,
its effect was marred by its undignified attacks
hurled against Babu Kristo Das Paul, the Editor
of the Hindu Patriot, who supported the "Trial".

H'trak-curna was followed by Jyotirindra Nath
Tagore's Sarojini Natalc. It was a famous produc-
tion of its time and its songs and sentiments became
the literary possession of the day.

It narrated the story of the historic fight of Rana
Lakshman Singh of Chitore against Ala Uddin
Khiliji the Pathan ruler of Delhi. There was
a song in the drama by the Rajput women dressed
in red-bordered saris and adorned with floral wreaths
about to fling themselves on the blazing pyre to
burn to death and save them from the polluted
touch of the Mahomedan victors. The song used
to kindle patriotic fervour in the heart of every
Bengali spectator. The famous song ran thus :
Jval, jval cita dvigun dvigun

Paran sapive vidhava valfw
Jvaluk, jvaluk citar agun

Judavi ekhani praner jvala.
Dekh re yavan dekh re tora,

Ye jvalay hrdaya jvalali save,
Saksi rahiven devata tar

Er pratiphal bhugite have.

253

In English the song reads thus :

Blaze up ye funeral pyre, blaze up in double the

glare,

The widowed woman will cast her life.
Let the flame of the funeral pyre burn and leap,
It will soon extinguish the burning of heart.
Look, ye Yavanas, look, but here, what fire

have you enkindled in our bosoms,
Gods will bear witness to this

And soon you will reap the fruit of your

deeds.

There was also another scene in the drama, which
greatly excited the audience, they even seemed to
forget themselves in great excitement. This was
when Sarojinl ( the heroine ) was brought before
a sacrificial post ( to which animals for sacrifice are
tied down ) and Rana consented to her being sacri-
ficed for the deliverance of the country. Ranadhir
was looking sharp and Bhairavacharya, the disguised
spy from the court of the Emperor Alauddin
approached her with sword in his hand. Then all
on a sudden, Bijay Singh rushed into the scene
crying, "All's conspiracy, Bhairav is not a brahmin,
but a Mahamedan spy from Delhi." At this, many
of the spectators, out of emotion, jumped upon the
stage to save Sarojini's life and some even fainted.
The famous actress Binodini told us that occasion-
ally some of them had to be nursed by the

254

theatrical staff till they regained their conscious-
ness.*

As soon as Babu Upendra Nath Das became
the director of the Great National, he began to
revive the ;martial dramas of Jyotirindra Nath.

The third play Surevifofamnodini has become
quite a history, for the trouble it put its authors
into ; but of this, later on.

Now, these dramas produced a tremendous effect
on the minds of the people, and naturally attention
of the Government was drawn towards them. Espio-
nage from one side and suspicion from the other,
were much in evidence. Even friends were sometimes
mistaken for spies. An Englishman, Mr. Hunter
who liked the play, one day came to witness the
performance, but finding that his presence was
looked upon with some suspicion, he exclaimed
"I have come to see the play, not to arrest you."

The hon'ble Mr. Hobbhouse, the law member
of the Viceroy's Legislative Council, wanted special
powers of the Executive quoting history that in
times of excitement there was no surer method of
directing public feeling against individuals or classes
or the Government itself, than by exhibiting them

*Mati Sur appeared in the role of Lakshman Singh,
Gopal Das as Bhairavacharya, Amrita Bose as Bijay Singh,
Mahendra Bose as Ranadhir Singh and Binodini as
Sarojini,

255

on the stage in an odious light and the best remedy
was therefore to suppress such dramas.

No doubt, Mr. Hobbhouse, while presenting the
Bill in the Supreme Legislative Council, presided
over by his Excellency the Viceroy, on the 14th
March 1876, did not mention about these dramas
in particular, but put clearly before the house,
when Sir Richard Temple, the Lieutenant Governor
of Bengal, was also present in the Council, the
following :

"Now it had been found in all times and in all
countries that no greater stimulus could be supplied
to excite the passions of mankind than that supplied
by means of the drama and that no feat was too
difficult for a dramatist, who could produce any effect
he pleased on the minds of the spectators :

Sequius irritant animos demissa per aures
Suam que sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus.*"

II. ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Though the staging of the National dramas was
not sought as an apology for passing the Dramatic
Performances Act, the incidents relating to the
Prince's visit in the house of a Bhowanipore gentle-
man were, however, so made.

It was about this time that his Royal Highness

* Englishman, I5th March, 1876.

256

the Prince Of Wales ( afterwards, King Emperor
Edward VII, grandfather of our King Emperor
Edward VIII and George VI ) visited Calcutta on
December 23, 1875.* Amongst his famous hosts,
Babu Jagadananda Mukherjee, a famous vakil of the
Calcutta High Court, and a member of the Bengal
Legislative Council, entertained the Prince in his
residential house at Bakulbagan, Bhowanipore, on
the 3rd January, 1876 ( 20th Paush, 1282 B. S.).
The Prince was loyally received by the ladies of his
zenana and presented with an emerald necklace,
one pair of gold bangles, one gold neck chain and
some pairs of Dacca embroidery muslins, f Lord
Northbrooke, the then viceroy is said to have protest-
ed at the Prince's reception at a Hindu zenana and
his resignation was rumoured. II Mrs. Jagadananda
Mukherjee, with her retinue and neighbouring friends,
was all attention to the Prince, received him with
conchshells, and offered varan with the joyous
shouts ulu, peculiar to Hindu females on festive

* The Prince arrived near Diamond Harbour on the
22nd December, 1875, through the steamer Serapin and
arrived at the Prinseps ghat on 23rd December, at
4-30 P. M. (Contemporaneous newspapers).

t Diary of Jagadananda Mukherjee, published in page
54 of Nandavansa by Mr. Chandra Sekhar Mukherjee.

|| It is said that the Prince went to the Zenana, leaving
the ladies that accompanied him, behind, and His Excellency
as a mark of displeasure, wanted to tender resignation.
A. B. Patrika, ;th Magh, 1282 B. 8.

257

occasions. The prince seemed to have been asto-
nished at the jewellery and ornaments, which Mrs.
Mukherjee and her companions put on their person
and is said to have exclaimed, while parting, to
Jagadananda Babu :

"I see no difference between your house and my
Windsor palace."

An account of the visit of the prince, though a
digression, we give here below from an account of
the prince's private secretary :

3rd January, 1876.

How it came about I do not exactly know but it is
probably that the prince expressed a wish to
see the Zenana of some respected native and
that the wish was made to the worthy Hindu of
Bhowanipore. Mr. Mukherjee was too happy
to gratify it to-day. Miss Baring, Lady Temple,
to-day Miss Milmen, Lady Stuart Hogg and
others had perhaps some part in this pourpar-
lers. There were hundreds of children assembled
to see the prince arrive ; most of the little ladies
held pretty bouquets, with which, out of local
devotion, to pelt the prince. These children
may develop into Hindu Blooms and establish
women's Rights associations unless their wild
shrieks of liberty were silenced into the leaden
flood of caste and custom, which has drowned
so much thought and life in India century after
century. Instead of salutes and flourishes
or bell peeling the Hindus use conches to
announce the arrival of guests ; the noise of

33

258

these natural horns makes one rej
is not among the Tritons. These we
often and long for there were false
the prince coming but at last his cai
in sight and there was conch-blo>
Royal Highness did not appear in tb
attire, which Mrs. Mukherjee ana
friends, no doubt, thought a prince should w^. .
Whether Babu Jogadananda Mukherjee will
ever get over the wrath of his co-religionists
for the doings of this day, time only can show.
There is one fact revealed by the manner in
which the occurrence was accepted by those
concerned. Hindu ladies at all events do not
consider strict seclusion all essential to their
happiness. But it is dangerous to argue from
a particular to the universal and so it will be
safer perhaps to say that some Hindu ladies
do not dislike being seen at all events by a
Prince of Wales."

This incident, however innocent, was severely
commented upon and raised a storm of protest
throughout the length and breadth of the country and
the press and the stage equally joined in expressing
severe condemnation of Jagadananda Babu's action.
The Hindu Patriot regretted "that the national feeling
had been outraged at the price the Babu paid for his

* Travels of the prince by W. H. Russel, honorary
private secretary to H. R. H. Prince of Wales and
member of the prince's suite accompanying him
to India Published in 1877, page 378379.

259

honour." The Fatrilca was rather more outspoken ;
on the 23rd Paush, 1282 B. S., it wrote "The Hindu
society can bear all oppression, but no shock to
its womanhood. Any person, who allows the family
to be defiled from outside, is a disgrace, nay a
great enemy, to the Hindu society."

Indeed this action of his, received the strongest
censure from the society. Satirical songs poured forth
from all quarters and the Great National Theatre,
at the earliest opportunity, took up the matter,
prepared and staged a farce Oajadananda on the
19th February, 1876, written by Upendra Babu,
along with the performance of "Sarojinl Natak".
The prologue and the songs now without trace, were
all the composition of Girish Chandra Ghosh. The
song that was put into the mouth of the ladies, while
moving round the prince, ran thus :

"Can't knock about any more
My feet are aching
Why do you fall on my person
Just move a little slowly
I can't walk with pitcher in my hand
Just wait a moment.
I am wet with perspiration."
Olo dhire calo

This was followed by quoted poem "Po/t-
of the well known poet Hem Chandra Banerjee

260

satirising his brother-pleader as "Long live, thou
son of a Mukherjee."

The Government of Bengal seemed to be highly
offended with the above representation on the stage
and tried to prevent its repetition. On the 23rd
February, 1876, ( Wednesday ) at the benefit night
of Babu Amrita Lai Bose when performance of
Satl ki Tcalankini and a musical concert were
arranged, Gajadananda too was brought on the
stage under a new name and in a somewhat different
garb.*

The police were present on this occasion also.
Then for the 26th February, "new and able work"
Karnat-lcumar ( The Prince of Karnat ) was put
on boards to conclude with the above farce under
again a new name Hanuman-caritra ( Monkey's
character ), when Mr. Das, the Director, was to have
delivered a stirring speech in English. This
time, too, the police forbade its repetition. The
troupe next arranged to hold on the 1st March,
a performance of Surendrcb-vinodinl along with
the above farce under a queer name Police of
Pig and Sheep, criticising the spirit of Sir
Stuart Hogg, Commissioner of Police, and Mr.
Lamb, Superintendent of Police, for having taken up
a hostile attitude. The joint attraction for a railway

* Correspondence of G. C. De in Indian Mirror^ Feb.
27, 1876,

261

ain on the stage and the Director's speech in
English 'on actresses', as well as the farce in a new
ame, drew a very crowded house at that night.

The various poems on the topic, composed on
le period, the farce staged at the Great National
nder different names and the stirring speeches of
dr. U. N. Das made the city too hot for Jagada-
anda Babu and after the third performance was
dvertised, Government finding that the police has
een calumniated, came to his rescue, in right earnest
nd set its machinery in force in favour of the
>rince's distinguished host. On the representation
i the Government of Bengal, His Excellency Lord
^orthbrooke, the Viceroy, issued an Ordinance, from
nmla as an emergency measure, under the Govern-
nent of India Act, with a view to give the Govern-
nent of Bengal, power to control the dramatic
>erf ormances. This was to remain in force for two
nonths till the end of May, until a new law was
>assed by the Viceregal ( Supreme ) Legislative
Council, on the subject. Armed with this authority
Vlr. Lambert, Deputy Commissioner and Mr. Lamb,
Superintendent of Police with Babu Amrita Lai
Dutt, Inspector, Shampukur Thana, came to
;he Great National Theatre on the 1st March,
L876, when the performance was going on
ind in absence of the honorary director Mr.
[Jpendra Nath Das, owing to mortification,
handed over the order to Babu Amritalal Bose,

262

the manager, asking the authorities not to play the
farce Gajadananda, Hanuman-caritra or Police of
Pig and sheep, in the night and similar other farces
that were libellous and obscene, any more, on their
stage, on pain of penalty under the Ordinance. It
is not possible to get at the farces anywhere at this
moment, as the first one was in manuscript and the
last two extempore, but for the information of our
readers, we quote a few lines from the Amrita Bazar
Patrilta, # about this repressive Ordinance of
the time :

"The story is soon told. The National Theatrical
Company entertained crowded houses with the farce
of Gajadananda and the prince. A cry was raised
by the friends of Jagadananda that the piece was
obscene and disloyal. We did not see it before, but
we have seen it since and consider it only a harmless
piece enough. However painful it may be to the
feelings of Babu Jagadananda and his friends to be
thus caricatured, the farce was neither disloyal nor
obscene.

"Viceroy gives Lieutenant Governor art Ordi-
nance, but will the Police be judges. The next
move of Lord Northbrooke is to suppress objection-
able theatrical performances by force."

The Ordinance alarmed the people very much and
the Hindu Patriot, too, with its conciliatory policy

* jst March, 1876,

263

advised a milder course by saying that when the
Anglo-Indian community was very much surprised
over the feelings of the Hindus in the matter of
Royal visit to Jagadananda Babu's house and when
a charge of criminal offence might not end in convic-
tion up to the High Court and which might necessi-
tate the presence of the Royal Highness and his
suite, which would make him unnecessarily unpopular
and that of the Hindu ladies, who assembled to
receive him, Government could have shortened the
matter by writing a letter to the Director.*

The Hon'ble Mr. Hobhouse, the Law Member,
Government of India, while presenting the Dramatic
Performances 5 Bill for further legislation in the
Supreme Legislative Council on the 15th March,
1876, sought this to be the main ground for putting
it on the legislative anvil. He put his case thus :

"A respectable Hindu gentleman holding a good
position in society, one of the legal advisors of the
Government and a member of the Legislative
Council of Bengal gave an entertainment at his
house, which some of the caste-fellows disapproved.
In order to punish him, they got up a play in which
this gentleman, though he had done nothing but what
was perfectly lawful, fervently innocent, perfectly
honourable, was represented as deliberately selling
the honour of himself and his family, in order to get

* Hindu Patriot, March 16, 1876.

264

promotion and money. Now, men were free to
choose their own society and if they found even one
of their society had violated any of the rules that had
been laid down for themselves, they were at liberty
to withdraw from association with them, however
absurd those rules might be but they were certainly
not at liberty to spread abroad falsehood and
calumny in order to inflict pain upon him. Yet the
play was acted, an honourable gentleman, held up
to the scorn of an ignorant multitude, as we were
told and the undaunted fact was that there was no
direct legal power existing in the government to step
in and prevent such a proceeding although when the
act was done, those who, concerned in it, might and
probably would be punished. It was this case, which
induced H. E. the Viceroy to issue an Ordinance
for the purpose of giving the Government of
Bengal, power to control dramatic performance and
the bill, which was framed on the model of this
Ordinance I am seeking leave to introduce."*

III. OTHER DRAMAS

Mr. Hobhouse also mentioned another drama
in five acts, CaJcar-darpan Natdk, a mirror of
tea-planters, by Babu Dakshina Chatterjee, where a
tea-planter, Mr. Maclean by name, treated two ryots
Sarada and Barada, recently recruited as coolies, with
harshness and cruelty and tried to outrage the modesty

* Vide, Englishman, i6th March }

265

of Surama, Barada's wife, in his private apartment.
It is a prototype of Nilafarpana Nat^li* and Sarada
and Barada are imitations of Nabinmadhab and
Bindumadhab, Nrityakali and Surama those of
Sairindhri and Saralata, and Mr- Maclean as Mr.
Rogue, Keshab Chakravarty as Gopi Dewan, Madhab
as Sadhu, and Nidhu more as Padi Mayrani.
This drama was not staged and of this Mr. Hob-
house spoke in the Council rather strongly :

"In the course of the last year a work was
printed and published in the form of a drama en-
titled G&kar-darpan NaiaJt which, he might state,
meant the mirror of tea-planters. He did not
know, who the author was and what his motives were
but the work itself was as outrageous a calumny as
could possibly be conceived. Its object was to hold
up as monsters of iniquity the class of tea-planters and
all persons engaged in promoting emigration to the
tea-planting districts that was to say, men as res-
pectable as any other body of men in the empire.
These gentlemen, who carried on their business with
great advantage to all concerned and possibly with a
greater portion of advantage to the labourers, they
employed than to any one else, had held up to them
what was called a mirror in which they were re-
presented as indulging, by way of their ordinary
occupation, the basest of passions cruelty, avarice

* Vide^ page 97.

34

266

and lust. The play was, however, not acted but
there it was. Written for the stage and adapted for
it in every respect and without any preventive power
the Government had, it might be acted at any
moment." *

Regarding this drama, which was not staged the
Hindu Patriot very reasonably said that the Govern-
ment did not step in to suppress Nlladarpana, whose
copy it is, but those, who felt aggrieved thereby, sought
for redress in the court and similarly if the tea-
planters were to oppose it, court was open to them, as
where ordinary law provides, no special power is
necessary.f

IV SUKUMARI'S MARRIAGE.

Nor did the Government lack support The
so called educated people of the puritanic section of
the community by their views and writings at the
time, were also giving moral support to the authorities
describing the stage in general as a place of obs-
cenity, which, ought, in their opinion, to be stopped.
Some interesting events also happened at the time
and we shall quote below a few lines coming from a

* Englishman, i6th March, 1876.

The book was published last January from Samachar
Chandrika fress. No book is available now but a
synopsis has been given in the Englishman, j$th
May, 1875.

\ H.P. 1 6th March, 1876.

267

correspondent of the Indian, Daily News of 17th
March, 1876 :

"Satisfaction will not be fully realised so long as
the walls of the pavillion of this infamous
company were not levelled to the ground, its
furniture confiscated and sold under the ham-
mers of the state. That this theatre by the
introduction of the harlots on the stage became
the hot bed of immorality and corruption none
can deny some have gone to the length of
saying that "Mirror has been alienating the
sympathy of the Hindus by making ungenerous
remarks on the taintless character of the dis-
tinguished personages and adorable women of
the theatre, who, like Orpheus, burnt with
public zeal, were not ashamed even to effect
prostitute marriages amongst them.

MARRIAGES IN THE STAGE.

These observations whatever their worth may be,
coming from an exclusive section of the community,
are referring obviously to the marriage of the cele-
brated actress Golap-sundari of the Great National,
who had come there from "the Bengal Theatre",
some time towards the end of 1874. Babu Upendra
Nath Das, a son of late Babu Srinath Das, senior
vakil, High Court, was the honorary director here
and his Sarat-sarojini was staged for the first time
on January 2nd, 1875. Babu Mahendra Lai Bose
appearing in the role of Sarat, Raj-kumari ( Raja )
as Sarojini and Golapsundari as Sukumad- Shooting

268

on the stage was shown and the Maharajkumar
Harendra Kumar Singh of Bettia was one of the
distinguished audience. The part of Sukumari
was played by Golap and so beautifully and artisti-
cally she used to do it that though a new comer,
she was more recognised as Sukumari in the theatri-
cal company at first and gradually amongst the
public at large. Now Babu Upendra Nath Das
was something of a social reformer. Before he
became the director of the company here, he had
started some schools and newspapers. He was
possessed of much breadth of views end himself
married an aged widow of another caste incurring
thereby the displeasure of his father, which cost him
a great deal. To improve the moral condition of
actresses his next move was to introduce their
marriages and arranged the marriage of Sukumari
(Golap) on the 16th February, 1875 under Act III
of 1872 with a handsome young man master Gostha
Bihari Dutt under much obligation to him and
belonging to the Subarna-Banik caste, with parents
alive, and who used to act the part of the scientific
man in the same drama. Though a digression, it
may be said of the star-actress and an excellent
singer that her married life was happy at the
beginning and others used to caricature her :

5mi sakher narl Sukumari

Amara stripuruse act kari
Puniar lok clekhe jari.

269

It would, however, not have been so short-lived, had
not the irresolute young man Gostha Bihari left
his wife and baby without any knowledge on their
part and started as a ship-boy ( khalasi ) for England
to find out his patron Upendra Babu, who had already
gone there about the middle of April, 1876. He
was not heard of since, and Mrs. Sukumari Dutt,
reduced to extreme poverty, was next, when all other
honest means failed ( she started first a coaching-
akhi-a, then wrote a drama Apurva sail ), forced by
circumstances to resume her old profession as an
actress. She was, however, so very particular about
her daughter's education and healthy training that
she placed her under the care and supervision of
the late Babu Devi Prasanna Roy Chowdhury, editor
( Navy a Bharai) where getting a decent education
the latter too was married to a young man under the
Civil Marriage Act ( Act III of 1972 ).

To come to our point, the marriage of Sukumari
was highly disliked by the Brahmas, but the credit
of the first and healthy reform amongst the actresses,
was all due to Upendra Babu.

V. SURENDRA-BINODINI PROSECUTION.

The drama Swrendra-binodini was, too, from the
pen of Upen Babu and like the first was also success-
ful on the stage. This was first acted on the stage
of the Bengal Theatre by "the Great National Opera
Company and New Bengal Theatrical" under the

270

name of ''New Aryan" on 1875, which, under the
management of Babu Nogendra Nath Banerjee, got the
exclusive right to stage the play but as the troupe
was dispersed during X'mas of the year, it next
came to be staged by the Great National under the
author's direct supervision from 3 1st December, 1875.
But though no notice was taken before at the Bengal
Theatre, it became the subject of prosecution, when
it was acted on the 1st March, 1876, at the Great
National, the same night Mr. Lamb and his asso-
ciates communicated the order under the Ordinance.
The reason was that at that night the word 'Tig and
Sheep" was uttered by Mr. Amritalal Bose, when
appearing as Magistrate Me Crimble, he addressed
"I am not a tiger, I am not a bear," and further added
"I am not a pig, and not a sheep." It was as we
said before, the same night, when the farce of Pig
Sf Sheep was stopped under the Ordinance. But
the subject of the present prosecution was not that
the text had been departed from, but that the drama
was obscene. There was another scene in the
drama in which the same European Magistrate Mr.
Me. Crimble made an attempt of criminal assault
on the maid Biraj-mohini, a grown up girl, who
jumped down from the balcony to avoid the outrage.
Mr. Bose as Magistrate used to come downstairs
and in the next scene, carried the girl in his arms
and concluded by saying, "By Joe ! the sweet lady !
had actually jumped down from the balcony,"

271

Her figure at the time with her clothes, stained with
blood, gave the police a handle for prosecution. Mr.
Robertson of the River police had been to the theatre
in plain clothes and reported strongly "on the drama
being libellous and obscene, tending to show that
the blood was the result of outrage of the girl by
the European Magistrate, whom it tended to show as
monster. Besides, the idea was that as the girl was
not married, no Hindu would ever marry her but a
fallen one."

Prosecution was ordered on the above report and
warrants of arrest were issued against Babus Bhuban
Mohan Neogi ( proprietor ), Upendra Nath Das,
Director, Amritalal Bose, Manager, Matilal Sur,
Mahendra Lai Bose, Amritalal Mukherjee (Bel Babu)
Sib Nath Chatterjee and Gopal Chandra Das, actors,
Ramataran Sanyal, opera master and Banku Bihari
Das as business manager. Proprietor Neogi was not
found but surrendered next day in court and the rest
were arrested on the theatre premises on the 4th
March, when Sat I Id kalahkiiii was being actually
staged. There was a great stir, actresses began to
weep and spectators disappeared. The above gentle-
men were sent up for trial on the 5th March, 1876,
to the Court of Mr. Dickens, Northern Presidency
Magistrate, on the allegations that they wilfully
exhibited obscene representations and recited
obscene words in public place, viz. the theatre, to the
annoyance of others under section 292 and 294 of

272

the Indian Penal Code. The whole public of
Calcutta was shocked at the prosecution and the
general opinion highly disapproved of it.

Indeed, the play, as a whole, was not more
improper than many of the operas, which were
performed on the English stage and many of
the plays performed at Covent Garden and
Drury Lane theatres. There are questionable
passages even in Romeo and Juliet, Merry
Wives of Windsor and in many of the French
plays, but none has ever been the subject of any
prosecution. A large number of gentlemen, both of
lead and light, expressed their opinion in favour of
the play and various gentlemen gave evidence for
the defence. Babus Shy am a Charan Sarkar, late
Chief Translator to the High Court, Pandit Jogendra
Nath Vidyabhusan, editor Ary a Darshan, Pandit
Mahesh Chandra Nyayaratna and Mr. Owen, chief
Interpreter of the Calcutta High Court, expressed
that the book was not obscene. The Education
Gazette considered it highly instructive. The Calcutta
Gazette stated that the book inculcated moral
lessons. Dr. Rajendra Lai Mitra (afterwards Rajah)
gave his opinion on a reference to the scenes in
Elliot's 'Adam Bede and Mill on the Floss' that the
book was devoid of any obscenity. Babus Dwijendra
Nath Tagore and Dwarka Nath Ganguly, two of
the most respected leaders of thought of the time,
said that the book tended to reform society and that

there was nothing obscene, and last, though not the
least, Rev. Dr. K. M. Banerjee from Ballygunge,
wrote on the llth March, 1876 :

"It is a work which indicated a good deal of
genius in the author and judging it only as a book
without having seen its representation on the stage,
I am bound to say, I have not detected any passage,
whether obscene in itself or likely to suggest
obscene ideas to the reader's mind."

"It is not a book that I could recommend for the
perusal of boys and girls but that is all I can say
against it and from a moral point of view, I could
say as much against some of the novels of Sir
Walter Scott himself."

"The scene between the Magistrate and maid
Birajmohini appeared to be an imitation of the
scene between the Knight Templar and the Jewish
maid; only the Bengali author makes the girl actually
jump down and then be brought upstairs again,
bleeding from the wounds she received by the fall."*

Mr. Dickens, the trying, Magistrate, however,
considered the play to be obscene and sentenced
only Upendra Babu and Amritalal on the 8th March,
1876, each to suffer one month's simple imprison-
ment, discharging the rest of the accused . Both
the gentlemen received the fiat of the court with
dignified calmness, which acquires, strength from the
* Hindu Patriot, 2yth March, 1876.

35

274

consciousness of perfect innocence and without a tear,
without uttering a word in the form of penitence and
without being in the least dissipated, submitted to
the court's order. The court room was densely
crowded throughout the proceedings, so much so as to
call for the frequent interference of the Police.

Srijut Ganesh Chandra Chunder, the well-known
solicitor and vakil, instructed by whom appeared
Messrs Robert Allen and Wood, Barristers before
the Magistrate, considered the above prosecution
unjust and had both the above two gentlemen
released on bail from the Criminal Bench of the
Honourable High Court, presided over by Mr.
Justice Phear and Markby.

Mr. W. C. Banerjee, Bar-at-law moved the
petition for bail before their Lordships.

Sympathy with actors was so deep and univer-
sal that a proposal for presenting a memorial to
His Honour the Lieutenant Governor for the libera-
tion of the prisoners was seriously discussed on the
9th March, 1876 at Vakils' library, High Court,
should Mr. Justice Phear refuse to interfere in the
matter. It was generally feared that the immediate
result of the conviction would be total suppression of
the National Theatre, for there was then scarcely
any Bengali play, which, in point of decency, sur-
passed and very few, which even equalled the one
that had been made the subject of criminal prose-
cution.

275

For the expenses of the appeal, a benefit perform-
ance of Sarojini was organised on the llth March,
1876 with an appeal to the public

"Patrons and countrymen, now or never is the
opportunity to help us". It must be said to the
credit of the public that our countrymen heartily
responded to the call. The above was the first
prosecution of its kind in Calcutta, after Rev. Mr- J.
Long, and the Baiigahasi prosecution was only
subsequent to this in 1891.

It must also be admitted that the treatment
accorded to the prisoners by Police and Jail author-
ities was sympathetic and Amrita Babu even the
other day shed tears at the marvellous conduct of
the Jamadar of the Lalbazar court, who protested
with success against handcuffs being used for them.
The same Jamadar also arranged for their food.
Dr. Mookerjee, the Superintendent of Jail, was
also extremely courteous in treatment to the distin-
guished prisoners.

During the hearing of the appeal Messrs Branson,
Palit and Manomohan Ghosh argued the appeal,
and vindicated the passages of the drama in the best
way they could, quoting from Tennyson and other
poets. On the 20th March, 1876, Justices Phear
and Markby acquitted both the prisoners on a refer-
ence to Regina vs. Stevent 5, Earles Reports page
258, holding that the charge against the prison-
ers was not specific and that the findings of

276

arrived at by the magistrate were not justified by the
evidence recorded at the trial.

Vide, I. L. R. 1 Gal 356.

THEATRE CASE TRIAL.

Charges were :

1. Both Babus Upendra Nath Das and Amritalal

Bose Director and Manager on March 1, 1876,
at Great National Theatre wilfully exhibited
to public view an obscene representation of a
woman having her saree stained with blood in
front carried in the arms of a man having his
shirt stained with blood in front, Intending
thereby to represent the immediate results of
such woman having been defloured by such
man.

2. Babu Amrita Lai Bose as District Magistrate
recited and uttered the following obscene words
to the annoyance of others :

( i ) Have you got a handsome sister ?
Send her to my bed one day, I con-
sent to give you some money,

(ii) Beauty ( Sundari ), I can't wait any
longer. I am still addressing you in
soft words. Consent to bestow your
love ; if you don't consent, I will take
it against your will-

(iii) Sundari, come to my embrace. I am
not a tiger or a bear or a hog. I want
to taste your love.

The following experts were examined :

277

1. John Charles Owen I am senior Interpreter,
High Court I see Surendravinodini. I have
read the book. I find, it resembles a novel,
called Twenty Straivs, published in "Bow
Bells-" It is a play. It is not in my opinion
an obscene play for the Bengali Stage. I am
acquainted with Bengali plays but not deeply
read in them. There are Bothers more indecent.
The object of the scene is to excite virtuous
indignation towards the magistrate, who is
depicted as a villain.

2. Shyama Charan Sarkar I am skilled in Bengali
language and I am a Bengali author. I have
not read this play ( reads a passage from
page 44 ). I do not see anything obscene in the
words. The best poem in the Bengali language
is the most immoral. It is worse than this
(reads a passage from another page). There is a
passage in this page, which, I think, is immoral
but not indecent from a Bengali point of view.
The words are not indecent. There arc worse
plays than this by many degrees, the magistrate's
conduct is reprehensible. Dramatically speak-
ing the words are not obscene.

Pandit Mahesh Chandra Nyayaratna, Professor,
Sanskrit College, Babu Upendra Nath Mazumdar f
Devendra Chandra Bose and Jogesh Chandra
Sen, witnesses for the defence characterised
the play as innocent and a decent one.*
Mr. Allan Counsel for the defence :

It had been played before and no objection had been

* Englishman^ March I3 ? 1876,

278

raised to it. The play as a whole was not more
improper than many of the Operas which were
performed on the English stage. The court
was aware that there were many plays per-
formed in Covent Garden and Drury Lane
which, if not actually obscene, did not at any
rate raise the morals. He had only to mention
in proof of this the scenes in Sonnambula
Travatore and Don Juan and if such plays were
performed in the great city which was in the
highest state of civilisation, there was really no
necessity for plays in Calcutta to be so closely
scrutinised the word 'obscene' has different
meanings to different persons, whether the
book put before the public had a tendency to
incite lust or inculcate immorality is the only
question.

Magistrate Some of the witnesses say that the text
had been departed from.

Mr. Wood ( Counsel for the 2nd accused ) :

Prosecution was undertaken because one of the
actors had, it appeared, introduced the words
'Hog and Lamb' into the play. They had been
forbidden to play the drama of Police of Pig and
Sheep and one of the actors having introduced
the two words into the play, this prosecution
had been got up by the Police. To the pure, all
things were pure but to the impure they were
otherwise. The plays of Shakespeare were
really and actually obscene in many points.
Merry Wives of Windsor was based upon
immorality. There were indecent passages in
Other plays such as Romeo and Juliet. The

279

play was not worse than a majority of the
French plays, than many plays of Shakespeare,
than, for instance, Roderick Random, a work
for reading which Mr. Wood got a thrashing
when he was a schoolboy- Whatever the
political effect of the play might be such as the
revolt which took place in the jail after the
lady was indecently assaulted by the magistrate,
he would submit there was no obscenity in the
play and it was perfectly clear that the defend-
ants had no criminal intention because they
had acted in presence of the Police.

The judgment was delivered on 8th March, by Mr,
P. D. Dickens,

Defendant Upendra Nath Das and Amrita Lai
Bose were found guilty under sections 292,
294 I. P. C. and sentenced to suffer simple
imprisonment for one month. The other defend-
ants were discharged.

In passing judgment the magistrate said:

"The evidence of the defence, it appears to me,
proves too much, according to it nothing would
be obscene, unless it is couched in obscene
words. According to my opinion the passages
in evidence are grossly obscene. It appears, a
good taste is afforded by the daily newspapers,
which have rejected the passages as unfit for
publication.

Mr* Justice Phear in delivering judgment on 20th
March, 1876 on Revision, expressed that the
words and passages whatever amimadversion
the use and utterance of them on the occasion
may be open to, are not obscene within the

280

meaning of sections 292, 294 1. P. C., and there
was no ground whatever on which the convic-
tion could be legally supported.

Mr. Justice Markby concurred in the judgment.

The two prisoners were thus set at liberty.

The judgment of Mr. Justice Phear did a public
service by pointing out to the Magistrate how he
should deal with evidence in a case like this. Mr.
Dickens rejected evidence of experts and Mr.
Justice Phear interpreted the true spirit of the play,
showing that Legislature was not right in placing
full power in the hands of the Magistrate. The
judgment also threw sufficient light as to how the
two Bills The Presidency Magistrate's Bill,* and the
Dramatic Performances Bill, then before the Council,
should have been rectified for the maintenance of
liberty of the subjects, and the Hindu Patriot regret-
fully observed that "it did not behove the position of
the Government, all powerful as it is, to exercise the
giant power it possesses as a giant".f

Nothing, however, could save the passing of the
two Bills. It is, however, very striking that soon after
the judgment was passed, Mr. Justice Phear left
India for good on the 30th March, 1876. Eumour
ran afloat that he was forced to tender resignation
in place of three months' leave as previously

* By this, a magistrate might be privileged in omitting

to record the whole evidence.
f Hindu Patriot \ 2yth March, 1876.

arranged. But whether he went on leave or resigna-
tion and whether it was voluntary or forced as a
result of pressure put upon him by Lord North
Brooke's Government, we need not pause to ponder.
This much, however, is certain that he won the
hearts of the people and before he left never to come
again, Lady Phear was accorded an address by
ladies of the Hindu Mahila school at the house
of Late Babu Durgamohan Das (father of Mr. S. R.
Das, late Law Member, Government of India and
Mr. Justice J. R. Das of Rangoon High Court and
uncle of the late Deshabandhu C. R. Das). #

As we said before, a section of the Brahmas was
very jubilant over the conviction and voiced their
sentiments as those of the Reform Association
through the Mirror^ :

"We thank the Viceroy and we thank the Police
and Mr. Dickens for their noble efforts to stem the
tide of public immorality."

And went so far as to pass a resolution to the
effect. To this all papers dissented and the Hindu
Patriot wrote very strongly :

"It is indeed very funny to conclude from a
resolution of a society the existence of which is
unknown to the public that the recent arbitrary acts
of Government have given universal satisfaction.

* Hindu Patriot^ 2yth March, 1876.

t Vide^ Indian Mirror of I2th March, 1876.

36

282

It would help nobody to discuss whether the above
representation was deliberately made or not but our
contemporary ought to have known that the native
community feels sorely the late arbitrary proceedings
of the Government, the Magistrate and the Police
and the people are really very much alarmed".

THE DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES'
CONTROL BILL.

The anticipated failure of the above prosecution
seems to be the real cause of forcing the Bill into
the Dramatic Performances Act and it is a very curi-
ous coincidence that on the very day Mr. Justice
Phear's judgment was delivered (20th March, 1876),
Mr. Hobbhouse, the Law Member moved the Bill
at the Legislative Council of which we said before.

The Dramatic Performances' Control Bill ran
thus :

"That whenever the Government was of opinion
that any dramatic performance was scandalous or
defamatory or likely to excite feelings of dissatisfac-
tion towards the Government or likely to cause pain
to any private party in its performance, or was other-
wise prejudicial to the interest of the public, Govern-
ment might prohibit such a performance".

Section 7 further provides

"If any Magistrate has reason to believe that
any house, room or place is used or is about
to be used for any performance prohibited under

283

the Act, he may by warrant authorise any officer
of Police to enter with such assistance as may be
requisite by night or by day and by force if
necessary to enter any such house, room or place
and to take into custody all persons whom he finds
there for the said purpose".

After the presentation of the Bill for considera-
tion, protest meetings were held in various places
and the press also took up the cause but nothing,
however, as often is the case, prevailed.

After the Bill was presented in the house and
members of the Council considered the Bill, it was
placed before a select committee consisting of the
members : Mr. Cockrel, Raja Narendra Krishna
Deb Bahadur, Sir Alexander Arbuthnot and Mr.
Hobbhouse. They agreed unanimously that the
Bill should be passed. *

It was next placed to the Legislative Council for
final debates and then passed into the Dramatic
Performances' Act of 1876.

As to its provisions we can not perhaps do a
whit better than refer to our readers the most learned
article of Babu Kristodas Pal that appeared in the
pages of the Hindu Patriot on the llth December,
1876, voicing in nutshell the objections of the public,
after the final debates in the Council were held.

* Page 346, Indian Gazette, 2$th March, 1876,

284

Indeed, there was no justification of the bill as
the general law of the Penal Code was sufficient for
all practical purposes. Mr. Hobbhouse's stock
argument, 'prevention was worth all the punishment
and it would be a poor satisfaction to punish offend-
ers after the mischief is done/ laboured under the
great fallacy, as seditious articles or speeches are
never censored before they are delivered, and the
mischief, if any, is only punished after it is done.
The same should have been the case with Perform-
ances also. Similarly, a gentleman might be held
to scorn and hatred of the public by some rabid
article in a newspaper and would the Legislature
give protection to him by establishing a censor of
the press or would leave him to seek redress in a
court of justice ? As for obscenity, opinions will
always differ and it is not at all fair to leave it to
the executive authorities to pronounce what is and
what is not obscene. Now, for instance, in the
National Theatre case, the Executive authorities
pronounced the drama Surenclravwodini as obscene
but the High Court upon . the evidence of experts
found it to be devoid of obscenity. The obnoxious
Bill, therefore, took away from the constituted courts
of justice the power of giving a judicial decision upon
the character of a drama and has thus vested the
sole authority in the executive officers. The principle
underlying the Bill was, therefore, open to serious
objection.

285

Then, as for the details, the Bill does not include
private entertainments and refers only to the perform-
ances held in a public place, that is, "Any building
or enclosure to which the public are admitted to
witness a performance on payment of money." Fur-
ther, Yatras, like performances and religious obser-
vances are exempted from the operation of the Act.
But a conviction or discharge under this Act does
not bar a prosecution under section 124 A (sedition)
or section 294 of the Indian Penal Code.

Coercive measures are neither necessary nor cal-
culated to foster any cordial feeling. Sir Richard
Temple, the then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal,
however, expressed thankfulness at the moral support,
received from Raja Narendra Krishna Deb* but
nothing succeeded to dissuade him from his move in-
spite of protests from the bar and though Mr. W. C.
Banerjee made a strong case on behalf of the
Theatrical Companies. The Bill received the assent
of the Governor General of India, Lord Lytton,
who had recently arrived in India, on the 16th
December, 1876 and was thus passed into law.

Babu Dharmadas Sur in his autobiographical
account gives also a history and the Patrika voiced
the feelings of the people, "It so much curtailed the
liberty of the people."

And it wrote in despair

"That we are practically lifeless under the burden

* Raja Narendra Krishna Deb Bahadur said,

286

of the administrators and if Government continue
to rule by the enforcement of such laws, we shall
have to seek a region where the frowns of the
present administration will simply fall on our deaf

ears." *

The Act extended to the whole of India and by
the powers it conferred on the Local Governments,
it can stop the performance and suppress or forfeit
any drama, which, in its opinion, may be considered
seditious, obscene or defamatory. Seeking to render
the growth of dramatic literature healthy and sound,
it has curbed the national spirit and checked the
progress and further development the national
dramatic literature was growing into and promised.
Since then there have been no national dramas,
and we give here an instance. The Swadeshi
movement of 1905 was the ebullition of a national
consciousness in all the spheres of our national life,
and inspite of the rigours of the law, came out two
most epoch-making dramas Sherajuddola and
MirJcasim from the pen of the master-mind Girish
Chandra Ghose and staged on successive nights. It
would be no exaggeration to say that what ten plat-
forms could not do, a single performance of either
play was enough to educate the public mind to
such an extent as greatly alarmed the Govern-
ment. The real history of the 18th century

* Amrita Bazar Patrika, I4th December, 1876,

28?

distorted as always has been by Western historians is
the first lesson for a student of nationalism to learn
and this the Bengali youths were most profitably
getting in those stirring times from the hitherto much
despised stage- The two dramas revolutionised the
ideas and mentality of the people and were followed
by Ghatmpati Sivaji of the same author and Palasir
Prayaschitta and Nandakumar of Pandit Khirod
Prasad Vidyavinod. Some scenes and songs of
Shajahan, Mewar-patan and Diwgadas of the late
Mr. D. L. Roy also helped greatly to grow the natio-
nal mind. The authorities, however, had soon their
attention drawn to the effect produced by the stage,
which in the years 1904-1909 became practically one
of the chief processes of nation-building and put the
books under proscription in 1910-11 instead of
having asked the authors to obliterate the scenes and
passages considered objectionable in their opinion.
These are all now lost to us and we have at
present no national drama, so to say. No doubt, the
ban has been partially withdrawn from Dvijendra Lai's
dramas, but those have b(3en restored only in a muti-
lated form. Similarly Golok Bose's woes will no
more be heard in Nlladarpand, Bankim Chandra's
Lawrencefoster has now been converted into a
Portuguese Ganjalis and the white tea-planter of
Assam in Sanshar has now been changed into a
Bengali villain, practising as a doctor.

It will be interesting to our readers to learn that

288

within the next three months, The Vernacular Press
Act was also passed into law by the same Govern-
ment by Lord Lytton on the 14th November, 1877.
Thus, both the press and the stage were gagged, as
both have the tendency to spread a spirit of love of
liberty amongst the people. The ban on the press
was soon, however, removed by the liberal Govern-
ment of Lord Ripon, but the Dramatic Performances'
Act for the last 56 years has been hanging like a
Damocle's sword over the stage.

The year 1876 also marked the close of the
English Stage in Calcutta, Mrs. Lewis, before leaving
the shores of India, is said to have remarked, that
owing to the disgraceful conduct of some members
of her troupe, she was compelled to dissolve it and
the losses she suffered might be estimated at
Rs. 20,000/-.

Henceforth, the Bengali Stage declined to its
worst condition. Demoralisation set in, Bhuvan
mohan was turned penniless and no new drama was
produced ; and had not the great revivalist and the
father of the Bengali Stage come into the field
with all his might, we would no more have heard of
the Bengali stage and drama in Bengal ; but of him
in the next volume-

INDEX

Abanindra Nath Tagore 116

Akshay Kumar Sarkar 123

155, 167

Akshay Mazumdar 120

Amritalal Bose 9, 23, 123,

155, 166, 172, 176, 191,

206, 218, 227, 229, 250,

251, 261, 270, 273, 279,

Amritalal Pal 209, 210, 212

Amulya Vidya-bhusan 171

Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi

142, 156, 160, 168, 172,

175, 176, 191, 197, 199,

200, 209, 210, 230, 254,

260,261

Ashutosh Dev 31, 36

(Ohatu Babn)
Bankim Chandra Chatterji

20, 21, 93, 167, 216
Belgachhia Theatre 52,

82, 102

Bowbazar Theatre 129, 134
Bengal Theatre 219, 227, 234,
Beharilal Chatterjee 219, 220,

226

Bel Babu 162, 176, 218, 271
Bhaskar ... 24

Bhadrarjun Natak 17

Bhanumatir Chittavilas 15
Bharat Chandra 4, 5

Bhubanmohan Niyogi 173,
228, 236, 242, 271, 273

Bholanath Mukherjee 142
Binodini 236, 253, 254

Bishnucharan Chattorjee 121
Brajendra Nath Dev 165
Brajendra Nath Banerjee 27
Burusaliker Ghare Eow 74
Bujhle Kina ... 109, 143
Chandi ... 5

Cakardarpan Natak 264

Chowringhee Theatre 1, 230
Chunilal Bose 129

Chitrayajna ... 6

Cobies ... 2

The Comroopa Yatra 10

C. E. Das ... 226, 281
Raja Devikrishna Dev 123
Devendra Nath Banerji 126
Deviprasanna Eoy Chuudhury

269

Dharmadas Sur 160, 161,

166, 170, 176, 179, 206

214, 220, 229, 286

Dickens ... 271,273

Dinabaiidhu Mitra 91, 95,

101, 158, 159, 191, 160

D. L. Eoy ... 250
Dramatic Performances Act

243, 288

Durga Mohan Das 28

Dwarik Ganguly 272

Dwaraka Nath Tagore 1, 55,

115

C ii

Dwijendranath Tagore 272

Ekei ki bale Sabhyata 74, 77,

78, 82, 117, 123

Sir Frederic Halliday 60

Gajadananda 259

Ganesh Chandra 274

Girish Chandra Ghosh 149,

153, 155,156,158,168,

201,204, 209,211,213,

215,217,218,233, 259,

288

Girindranath Tagore 115, 116
Golapsundari (vide, Sukumari)

Golak Nath Das 3

Gauri Sankar Bhattacherjee

24

Gopal Das Sett 28

Gosthabihari Dutt 268, 269

Gaurdas Bysak 27, 29, 30,

32, 33, 59, 66

Great India Theatre 220

The Great National Theatre

228, 229, 231, 234, 239,

240, 243, 244. 249, 259

Hasyarnava ... 11

Hara Chandra Ghosh 15, 16,

17
Harish Chandra Mukherjee

95, 100

Hem Chandra Banerjee 259
The Hindu National 214, 215
Hirak-curna Natak 251, 252

Hobhouse ... 255, 263,
264, 282, 283

Indra Nath Banerji 123, 155
Iswar Gupta 15, 20, 22, 23
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar

... 23, 33, 222

Iswar Singha 24, 79

Jatindra Mohan Tagore 29,

53, 66, 79, 81, 99, 102,

Jadu Nath Banerjee 155

Jagadananda Mukherjee 256,

257, 258, 262

Jogen Bose ... 18, 20, 30

Jorasanko Theatre 115, 117,

120, 128

Sir J. P. Grant 92

Kev J. Long 11, 15, 20,

96, 100

Jyotirindra Nath Tagore 121,

122, 249, 252, 254

Kali Prasanna Sinha 6, 28,

30, 31, 40, 41, 43, 99, 201

Kalirajar Yatra 7, 23

Kalicharan Chaturdhurin

24, 25

Kanailal De (Dr.) 170

Kapalkundala 213

Kamya Kanan 229

KeshabSen ... 3,83,90
Keshab Ganguly 26, 59, 60.
61, 79, 80, 81, 202
Kemp ... 214

Khirode Vidyavinode 8

Kiran Chandra Dutt 16

Kishori Chand Mitter 37, 57,

86, 113

[ Hi ]

iran Chandra Banerjee 273
rishnakumari 212, 215, 217
Jrishnadhan Banerjee 241
ilaja Krishna Chandra 5

risto Das Paul 252

Jshetra Mohan Goswami

64, 112

Jshetramani Devi 235, 237,
249, 258

Lalit Chandra Mitra 155

jewis ... 200, 288

Jebedeff ... 3, 4, 7

jilabati 170, 171, 172, 192,

217

Jong ... 273

tfadhu Sudan Dutt 3, 18, 19,

20, 52, 65, 66,

70, 71, 77, 222, 223

tfalati-Madhab 51, 111, 113

klahendranath Mukherjee 110

^lanomohan Ghose 275

dahendra Lai Bose 162, 169,

172, 213, 214, 218, 241

249, 269, 271

tfati Lai Sur 162, 203, 213,
214, 218, 271

tfaya Kanan 222, 225, 229
iladan Mohan Burman 241
VTanomohan Bose 22, 129
Minerva Theatre 230

tfohanta on the Stage 225
tfordaunt Wells 97, 99

vTaren Sen ... 3, 84

tfarendra Krishna Dev

283, 285

Nabin Krishna Bose 4, 31

Nalini Ban j an Pandit 13

Nabin Chandra Bose 13, 116

Nabin Chandra Sen 20

Nava Vrindavan 89

Nagendra Nath Tagore 116

NavaNatak ... 118, 122

Nala-Damayanti ... 139

NationarTheatre 149, 166,

179, 183, 188, 200, 210, 249

Navagopal Mitra 167

Nagendra Nath Banerjee 180,

203, 209, 210, 227, 228,

235, 249, 270

Navin Tapasvini 190. 191

NaishoRupea ... 193, 194

New Aryan Theatre 227

Nildarpan 91, 93, 94, 95,

97, 186, 188, 189. 209,

210, 213, 227, 230,

243, 245, 266

Northbrooke 262

Opera Yatras ... 132

Oriental Theatre ... 32
The Oriental Theatre of

Howrah ... 221

Padmavati ... 73, 138

Pathuria Ghata Theatre 137

Mr. Pagose ... 187
Phear (Justice) 274, 280, 282

Police of Pig and Sheep 278
Pratap Mazumdar 3, 83, 84

Preomadhav Bose 141

Pranay-pariksha 231

[ iv ]

Prasanna Kumar Tagore

2, 4, 116

Prabodhacandrodaya Natak

10

Prince of Wales 255

Pnru Vikram

Eabindranath Tagore 116, 123
Bam Mohan Eoy 2, 3. 9
Eajendra Lai Mitra 3, 11, 272
Earn Narain 24, 25, 118, 151
Eatnavali 55,56,61,65,66,73
Eadha Kanta Dev 99

Easaviskarvrndak 111

Eamabhisek Natak 130, 133,
Eamgati Nyayaratna 188
Eaj Narain Bose 180

Earn Chandra Mukherji 221
Eaja Eadhakanta Dev 212
Eaj-kumari ... 235

Bukminiharan ... 113

Sarat Ghosal ... 15

Sarat-Sarojini ... 240,267
Sans Souci Theatre 29, 130
Sakuntala 30, 31, 37, 219
Savitri-Satyavan 49, 50

Sarmistha 65, 68, 72, 73,
223, 224

Sadhavar Ekadasi 151, 155,

157, 158, 159, 160, 163

Saurindra Mohan Togore 103,

112, 142

Sarojini Natak 252, 253, 257
Sati Natak ... 131, 132

Sailendra Nath Mitra M- 133
Sarat Chandra Ghose R[219,
220, 222, 224

Sati ki Kalankini 227, 237
Shakespeare ... 13

Sisir Kumar Ghosh 193, 246
Sobha Bazar Theatre 123,
125, 128 201

Sri Chaitanya ... 1,21
Kali Charan Eoy 25

Sukumari ... 236, 266,

269
Surendra-Vmodini Natak

227, 251, 254, 269, 284
Tara Charan Sarkar 17, 18
Temple, Sir Eichard 255, 285
Ubhay sankat ... 113

Umesh Chandra Mitra 123
UpendraDas ... 26,254,
259, 260, 268, 279
Valmiki-pratibha 123

Vallal Sen ... 24

Vernacular Theatre 32

Vidya-sundar 4, 5, 103,

104, 107, 108
Vidyanath Vachaspati 6

Vidyotsahini Theatre 39, 43,

49

Vikramorvasi 40, 43, 44
Vidhava-vivaha Natak 85,

117

Visha-vriksha 232

Mr. Walter Scott 96, 273

W. C. Banerjee 274

Mr. Wood 211, 277

Mr. W. S. Herschel

Wilson ... 6

Yatras 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 14

BENGALI DRAMAS

(when and where first staged)

Year Drama Placo whore staged

1778 Chitrayajna Not traced 6

1795 Chhadmavesh 25, Dhorumtolla 7 and

219, 258
Vol.1

1821 Kalirajar yatra Calcutta 7, 9
and other similar

dramas

1822 The Oomroopa Shyamsundar Das's 10

yatra house, Calcutta

1852 Bhadrarjun Natak Not definite if 1720

(Tarachand Sikdar) played

1856 Kulinkulasarvaswa Jayram Basak's 29

(Eamnarain's) House

Swarna-srinkhal Barisal 35

1853, 30th Sakuntala Ashu Deb's House 36
Jan. (Nandalal Eoy)

1857 Sept. Mahasweta 38

At Viclyotsahini Theatre.

1857, llth April Veni-sanhar 40

1857, 24th Nov. Vikramorvashi 45

1858, 5th June Savitri-satyaban

At Belgaehhia Theatre.

1858, 31st July Eatnavali (Eamnarain) 55, 65

1859, 3rd Sept. Sarmistha (Madhusudan) 66, 73
1859, 27th April Vidhava-vivaha Natak 88

At East Bengal Stage, Dacca.

1861 Nildarpan Natak (Dinabandhu) 91

( vi )

At Pathuriaghata Theatre.

1866, 6th Jan. Vidyasundar 103

1869, Dec. Bujhle kina 109

1867, 31st Sept. Malati-Madhav

1870 Ubhay-sankat, Chakshu-dan

1872, 13th Jan. Bukmini-haran 111

1881 Rasaviskar-vrndak

Jorasanko Theatre.

1867, 5th Jan. Nava-natak (Bamnarain) 118

1880 Valmiki-pratibha 123

Sobhabazar Theatre.

1/5, 2/6, Baja Navakrishna Street

1865 Ekei ki bale Sabhyata 123

1867, 8th Feb. Krishna-kumari Natak 125

Bowbazar Theatre.

3, Viswanath Matilal Lane.

1868 Bamabhisheka Natak 129

1872 Sati Natak 132

1874, Dec. Harishchandra Natak

Other Theatres.

1867, Sept. Padmavati Jaychand Mitra's 173

house at Burtala.

1867, Nov. 2 Kichhu Kichchu Baybi Koylata 141
1868 Nala-Damayanti Madanmohantola 138

National Theatre.
337, Upper Chitpur Boad ( Jorasanko)

1868, Oct. Sadhavar Bkadashi ( Beal germ ) 153

(Dinabandhu) at Prankrishna Haldar's house
at Mukherjeepara.

1871, June Litavati ( 'National* named ) (Dinabandhu.) 167
1872, 7th Dec. Nildarpan * ( Do ) 172

14th Dec. Jamai Barik ( Do ) 188

* The first performance at Public Theatre.

( vii )

1873

4th Jan. Nabin Tapaswini 190

8th Feb. Noisho Bupea 193

15th Feb. Bharatmata 200

22nd Feb. Krishna-kumari Natak 201

( with Girish as Bhiinsing )

8th March Buroshalikar Ghare Eow. 205

10th May Kapalkundala. 213

10th Dec. Hemalata Natak ( Haralal Eoy ) 116

20th Dec. Kamalekamini ( Dinabandhu )

1874

10th Jan. Amitavinodini ( Srinath Chaudhury ) 231

17th Jan. Kusum-kumari
31st Jan. ( Bajerer Larai )
14th Feb. Mrinalini ( Bankim )

Bengal Theatre.

9/3 Beadon Street.

1873

16th Aug. Sarmistha 222

30th Aug. Mayakanan.
6th Sept. Mohanter Eki Kaj
20th Dec. Durgesh-nandini. 225

1874

2nd May Durgesh-nandini
22nd Aug. Puruvikram ( Jyotirindra )*

1875

6th March Meghanadbadh 225-227

25th March Durgesh-nandini

20th May Malhar Eao Gaekwar
14th Aug. Surendra-vinodini (under Nagendra Banerjee

in New Aryan Theatre )

4th Sept. Birnari

* Probably not staged.

( viii )

18th Sept. Bangabijeta ( Eamesh Dutt ) 225-227

25th Sept. Palashir Yuddha ( Nabin Sen )

Great National Theatre.

6, Beadon Street.

1873

31st Dec. Kamya Kanan. 229

1874

10th Jan. Mohantar Bilap 231
17th Jan, Pranay-pariksha (Manomohan Bose)

14th Feb. Mrinalini 232

7th March Bisavriksha 233

30th May Kamalini 234
19th Sept. Sati ki Kalankini * ( Devendra Banerjee ) 235

3rd Oct. Puruvikram ( Jyotirindranath ) 237

31st Oct. Eudrapal ( Haralal )

14th Nov. Ananda-kanan ( Laksmi Ohatterjee )

2nd Dec. Satru-sanhar ( Haralal ) 239

26th Dec. Banger Sukhavasan (Do)

1875

2nd Jan. Sarat-sarojini ( Upendra Das ) 240

3rd May Padmini 241

7th Nov. Bharate Yavan 1f

23rd Dec. Hirak-churna Natak 229

31st Dec. Surendra-vinodini ( Upendra Das ) 269

1876

8th Jan. Prakritabandhu (Brajendra Eoy) 241

15th Jan. Sarojini ( Jyotirindra Nath Tagore ) 252

19th Feb. Gajadananda & the Prince. 259

26th Eeb, Karnat Kumar ( Satyakrishna Bose )

Hanuman-charitra

1st March Police of Pig and Sheep ,,

Dramatic Performances Act 282
* Actresses were employed.