Bisarjan Explores True Devotion and Religious Orthodoxy Through Puppetry

About Bisarjan

Govindamanikya, Tripura’s monarch, issues a ban on blood sacrifices at the altar of the Goddess after realizing the futility of such acts, which even included a village girl Aparna’s kid. High priest Raghupati incites discontent against the King, targeting the childless queen Gunavati and the King’s brother Nakshatraray. When those efforts fail, Raghupati mentors Jaisingha, a Rajput with unquestionable faith in the deity. Caught between blind faith, morality, and the clash between Raghupati and Govindamanikya, Jaisingha decides to sacrifice himself to end the stalemate. Raghupati ultimately realizes his fake pride, frees himself from religious orthodoxy, and finds his true Goddess in Aparna. Bisarjan explores true devotion and exposes the brutality of fundamental religious orthodoxy.

Director: Prabhitangsu Das

Born in Agartala, Prabhitangsu Das inherited puppetry from his father, Late Haripada Das, the pioneer of puppetry in Tripura. After his father’s demise in 1999, Das took charge of the Tripura Puppet Theatre to promote tribal folklore and culture through contemporary stylization. His major productions include Janmadin, Tetnai, Bandhu – The Alien Friend, Puppet Express, Bisarjan, Green Green, Chandalika, Moments with Mahatma, and Rani Lakshmibai. Bisarjan was acclaimed in the segment “Days of India” at a Germany festival. Das has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2016), Srijon Samman (2008), and Tripura Samman (2015).

Director’s Note

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s Bisarjan is deeply rooted in the heritage of Tripura. While visiting the Bhuvaneshwari Temple in Udaipur, Tripura, director Prabhitangsu Das conceived the idea to bring the tale to life through puppetry. The creative journey aimed to present Tagore’s message of humanity and compassion simply while staying true to his original vision.

Tripura Puppet Theatre

Tripura Puppet Theatre (TPT) is a pioneering puppetry organization in North-East India promoting indigenous folk-art puppetry since 1974. The group presents plays incorporating Rod, Glove, Shadow, String, and Bunraku forms of puppetry. TPT organizes a special series of puppet shows every 4th Sunday and successfully organized the “Tripura International Puppet Utsav 2024” at Rabindra Shatabarsiki Bhawan, Agartala, featuring international and national puppetry teams.