Ghoramukho Pala: Exploring Identity and Folk Theatre Traditions

“Ghoramukho Pala” is a pala-style folk performance that blends narration, music, and movement, emerging from a Bengali translation by eminent poet Shankha Ghosh of Girish Karnad's 1971 Kannada play Hayavadana. Inspired by ancient Sanskrit epics and Thomas Mann's 'The Transposed Heads,' the production explores themes of friendship, love, identity, and the boundaries between the human and divine through the story of friends Devadatta and Kapila, and their shared love for Padmini, alongside a strange horse-headed man.

Director Sayak Mukherjee, a multidisciplinary Bengali theatre professional with a Master's degree in Drama with a specialization in Direction from Rabindra Bharati University, chose the vibrant folk theatre form of the Pala over conventional proscenium drama. Mukherjee's past theatrical works include 'Dui Sotiner Pala,' 'Phoenix,' 'Orkute Jukto Holo Baltimore Ar Nadia,' 'Santal Bidroho,' 'Tamaku Seboner Apokarita,' and 'Magaj.'

Writer Shankha Ghosh (1932–2021) was a prominent figure in modern Bengali literature, poet, literary critic, and academic who taught at Jadavpur University and Visva-Bharati. His literary contributions were recognized with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977, the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and the Jnanpith Award in 2016.

The production is presented by 'Baghajatin Bikshan,' a group of creative theatre workers established on December 2, 2023, consisting of current and former students of the drama department of Rabindra Bharati University.