Monikornikai Monica
Director's Note
Why This Play?
“Since a writer can never truly detach himself from reality, we would want him to engage with his era with enthusiasm—this is his only opportunity. His era is made for him, just as he is made for his era. We will lose nothing of our time; it may not be the best of all, but it is ours. We only have this one life to save, amidst this war, perhaps amidst this revolution.”
Sartre wrote these words while engulfed in the flames of World War II. His play, “The Respectful Prostitute”, written in 1946 against the backdrop of an incident in an American town, was what he called a “theatre of circumstances.” It was about making choices, about how an individual must find ways to liberate themselves in response to their given reality.
The history of Black people fighting against white supremacist racial oppression in Europe and America is well known. In contemporary India, aggressive Hindutva has once again fueled an atmosphere of hatred and division across the country, reminiscent of that history. Just as white terror and anti-Semitism were rooted in racist ideologies of supremacy, the RSS—propagating Hindu caste supremacy based on Manusamhita—has found its political weapon in the BJP, which has raised the flag of triumphant Hindutva in Varanasi under the leadership of Narendra Damodardas Modi. This new wave of communal discord threatens the centuries-old pluralistic heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
At a time when independent India should be moving past the wounds of Partition to focus on the struggles for livelihood, economic inequality, and democratic rights, Hindu fundamentalists are pushing the country towards religious extremism—just as Muslim fundamentalism has led neighboring states into theocratic regression, pulling them back into medieval darkness instead of social and economic progress.
In such times, what should a theatre practitioner do? Should they retreat into the comfortable belief in “art for art’s sake”? Or should they transform the stage into a weapon against this “circumstance”?
This play is, in essence, a humanistic statement against the fascist dominance of the majority.
Synopsis of Play
“Manikarnikay Monika”, as the name suggests, is a play set in Benaras, a city in “Uttar Pradesh”, and revolves around “Monika”, a prostitute, who becomes a key figure in a political scandal. The play explores morality, racial tension and societal hypocrisy.
Racial discrimination is a central theme, not only impacting “Monika” but also harming a “Muslim” man. The rule of majoritarianism is evident as societal norms dictated by the majority lead to discrimination and injustice to the minorities like the “Muslim” man (a character within the play). The play critiques the oppressive nature of majoritarian rule, where racial prejudices affect individuals, irrespective of their race.
Monika’s struggle for justice and the harm inflicted on the ”Muslim” man serve as commentaries on how societal structures restrict personal freedoms, echoing characteristics reminiscent of a totalitarian state where dissent is suppressed.
As the plot unfolds, each character’s motivations and choices intertwine, creating a web of moral ambiguity. The play challenges the audience to question traditional notions of respectability and confront the uncomfortable realities of human nature. Against a backdrop of political intrigue, “Manikarnikay Monika” delves into the paradoxes of morality, power dynamics and the consequences of navigating a world where appearances often deceive.
Premiered On: 25th Dec, 2020
Cast & Crew of Monikornikai Monica
- Monika Pandit – Suparna Das
- Mithilesh Joshi – Joyraj Bhattacharjee
- Minister Joshi – Biswajit Chakraborty
- Muslim man – Dipak Halder
- Lakshmanprashad – Subhasish Chakroborty
- Sheokumar – Mrinal Baur
- Man 1 – Supriyo Dey
- Man 2 – Tunir Sarkar
- Chorus Team – Shatadal Chakroborty, Ronit Dey, Subrata Bhattacharjee, Soummyajit Mondal, Karna Chakroborty, Ayushman Halder.
Creative Co-ordinators of Monikornikai Monica
- Set — Madan Gopal Halder
- Light Design : Soumen Chakraborty
Production Co-ordinators of Monikornikai Monica
- Production Controller – Karna Chakroborty
- Stage Manager – Ranjit Deb
- Makeup Artist – Sheikh Israfil
- Theatre Marketer – Shatadal Chakraborty
- Graphic Designer – Rajat Dolui
- Projectionist – Badal Shaw
- Backstage Managers – Srijeeta Dutta, Suhasini Dutta, Deblina Roy, Rupsa Mitra, Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay
Technical Co-ordinators of Monikornikai Monica
- Music Composer – Dishari Chakraborty
- Music Operator – Somdutta Ghosh
Creators
- Playwright – Jean-Paul Sartre.
- Adaptation – Angshuman Bhowmik
- Art Director — Hiran Mitra
- Director – Biplab Bandyopadhyay
Acknowledgement
Special Thanks – Kazi Nazrul Islam, Faiz Ahmed Faiz,Rahat Indori, Arman, Amir Khusrow,Shani Arshad, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Amjad Sorbi, Sneha Khanwalkar,Rashid Khan,Vidya Shah, Suvendu Maity,Tapas Chakraborty, Kanhaiyalal Kumar,Pujan Sahil,Niranjan Sadan and Calcutta Youth Choir