Theatrical rendition of Tagore's prose and poems debuts in Mumbai

A theatrical rendition of Tagore prose and poems debuts in the city, ahead of its Shantiniketan show

There is nothing like too much Tagore in one’s life. You may have read his verse to a beloved or taken in his stories in solitude, but here is one more way of celebrating the writer. In Tales of Soulmates, works by Rabindranath Tagore — two short stories, two poems and a song — will be enacted by Déjà Vu Performing Arts, a Kolkata-based theatre company. In 90 minutes, the actors hope to encapsulate the substance of Tagore.

Tales of Soulmates is a new theatrical piece by Deja Vu Performing Arts

Directed by Santosh Ojha, this adaptation will take up Hemu and Maladaan, which deal with narratives of love and longing. One poem is being set to tune by former radio artiste Arun Shekhar, also an actor in Tales of Soulmates, while the other will find a more prosaic rendition. The set will end with Ekla cholo re. “While the song was taken up by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, it was composed by Tagore. We also begin with the national anthem,” says Gaurav Singh, creative producer for Déjà Vu. “Tagore is the only writer whose songs are anthems for two nations — India and Bangladesh,” he continues.

Rabindranath Tagore

Tales of Soulmates features the Hindi translation of Tagore’s works, an aspect the company feels has not been explored amply in contemporary theatre. “We had to tweak certain parts and also heighten some situational humour of the stories to make them more accessible to the audience,” says Singh. The production will later travel to Shantiniketan to coincide with the writer’s birthday.

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