Sojan Badiar Ghat: A Timeless Tale of Love and Communal Divide

Sojan Badiar Ghat

A heart-wrenching tale of love that transcends time, Sojan Badiar Ghat by Jasim Uddin is a timeless classic. Set in the village of Shimultali in Bangladesh, the story portrays how communal divides caused by upper-class influential people create chaos among fellow farmers. The elite class uses religion for their own benefit, creating hate and destroying the love and lives of others. Sojan and Duli are childhood lovers who are separated due to a communal riot. Fate plays a cruel hand, and they meet again, only to be united through death. Their love story remains synonymous with yearning, pain, and suffering.

Director: Goutam Halder

Goutam Halder is an acclaimed theatre director and actor with a distinguished career spanning 39 years in Indian and international theatre. His notable productions include Sojan Badiar Ghat, Mitali, Maramiya Mon, Mrichchhakatika, Sakharam, Mephisto, Caligula by Albert Camus, Biswarjan, and Meghnad Badh Kabya. He has received honors such as the Girish Ghosh Award (2022) from the Government of West Bengal, the State Award for Best Production for Meghnad Badh Kabya and Best Director for Chile Kothar Sepai, and the Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Kiran Award (2001) from the Government of Maharashtra. Halder has represented Indian theatre globally in the USA, Canada, London, Edinburgh, Germany, and Sweden.

Director’s Note

Sojan Badiyar Ghat is an exceptional poetic work by the famous poet Jasimuddin that explores the deep harmony between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The play is based on the story of a teenage romance between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. Their attempt to marry each other sparks a devastating communal riot, and tragically, this love story ends in death.

In directing this play, Goutam Halder focused on uniting every performer and live musician to achieve the highest level of ensemble acting. The production weaves in indigenous and folk music alongside traditional Bengali art forms, such as the energetic stick-fighting called Lathikhela. The goal was for every character to feel completely alive, rising directly from the soil of rural Bengal.

Group: Naye Natua

Naye Natua, a troupe of Kolkata, produces theatre ranging from fairy tales to modern immortal fictions of Bengal and India. The troupe has been praised by connoisseurs in India and abroad and includes talented actors, dancers, and musicians.