Radio-play 'Kurukshetra' goes national

Guwahati: In a remarkable feat, Assam dramatist Rituparna Das's radio-play ‘Kurukshetra' will reach audiences nationwide, having been rendered into 22 Indian languages.

The radio drama is scheduled for national broadcast on Akashvani's Akhil Bharatiya Natyashastra, on Nov 17, beginning at 9.30 p.m. While Akashvani New Delhi will transmit the Hindi version, 591 Akashvani Kendras will simultaneously broadcast the play in 22 regional languages.

Notably, this marks the sixth Assamese drama to be selected for national broadcast on Akashvani's Akhil Bharatiya Natyashastra after several years. Previously, works by eminent writers Jugesh Das, Mahendra Borthakur, Tarun Sharma, Dr.Bhabendra Nath Saikia and Sapon Jyoti Thakur were featured on this prestigious platform.

‘Kurukshetra', set against the backdrop of Mahabharata's great war, centres on an imagined dispute between the iconic characters Bhishmah Pitamah and Hastinapur's Rajmata Satyawati. The playwright presents a fresh perspective on these two significant characters from the epic.

The initial broadcast occurred on March 8, 2021, from Akashvani Guwahati Kendra, featuring performances by Tapan Das, Malaya Goswami, Abhinash Sharma, Snigdha Gogoi and Momi Borah, with musical composition by Abhijit Barman.

Originally 45 minutes long, ‘Kurukshetra' has been condensed to 30 minutes for the Akhil Bharatiya Natyashastra broadcast. National School of Drama graduate and distinguished artist Dakshina Sharma translated the Assamese drama into Hindi, whilst Binod Kumar, Head of Drama Section at Akashvani New Delhi Kendra, produced the Hindi version.

The Hindi adaptation is titled ‘Apna Apna Kurukshetra' while its Assamese counterpart will air as ‘Nija Nija Kurukshetra'. Audiences can listen to the play in various languages at the same time as the Hindi broadcast.