Meghnad theatre review: A play that dissects academic prejudice
Cast: Chandan Sen , Santilal Mukherjee, Rwitobroto Mukherjee , Panchanan Banerjee, Alokananda Dutta
Director: Chandan Sen
Duration: 130 min
Language: Bengali
Critic's Rating: 3.5
Genre: Drama
Produced by Ashoknagar Natyanan and based on a play by Sudipto Bhowmik, Meghnad traces the life and struggles of renowned scientist and social reformer Dr. Meghnad Saha . Best known for his contributions to astrophysics and his role in shaping developmental initiatives such as the Damodar Valley Corporation in post-Independence India, Saha emerges here not merely as a scientist but as a relentless challenger of social inequality and intellectual complacency.
Marginalized because of his caste background, Saha is shown confronting entrenched prejudices through reason, evidence, and scientific inquiry. His refusal to remain silent in the face of discrimination becomes both his greatest strength and, at times, a source of isolation. The production moves through key phases of his life, from his childhood in present-day Bangladesh to his years in Kolkata as a student, researcher, and public intellectual.
The director gradually constructs the protagonist in a manner reminiscent of his namesake from Michael Madhusudan Dutta’s Meghnadbadh Kabya. Just as Dutta’s poem grapples with loss, injustice, and the moral ambiguities of victory, this production repeatedly returns to the theme of systemic unfairness. The audience witnesses both the humiliations Saha endured and the hypocrisy of those who opposed him, often through arguments that remain unsettlingly familiar even today. A particularly effective scene features a self-proclaimed Sanskrit scholar being intellectually dismantled by Saha.
The play also turns its attention to the education system, critiquing the selective omission of scientific and historical narratives that foster critical thinking. Through carefully chosen historical details, it raises questions about how knowledge is shaped, presented, and sometimes manipulated to serve particular agendas. At the same time, it champions the scientific temper, emphasizing the importance of examining all sides of an issue before reaching conclusions. These moments rank among the production’s most thought-provoking.
Director: Chandan Sen
Duration: 130 min
Language: Bengali
Critic's Rating: 3.5
Genre: Drama
Produced by Ashoknagar Natyanan and based on a play by Sudipto Bhowmik, Meghnad traces the life and struggles of renowned scientist and social reformer Dr. Meghnad Saha . Best known for his contributions to astrophysics and his role in shaping developmental initiatives such as the Damodar Valley Corporation in post-Independence India, Saha emerges here not merely as a scientist but as a relentless challenger of social inequality and intellectual complacency.
The director gradually constructs the protagonist in a manner reminiscent of his namesake from Michael Madhusudan Dutta’s Meghnadbadh Kabya. Just as Dutta’s poem grapples with loss, injustice, and the moral ambiguities of victory, this production repeatedly returns to the theme of systemic unfairness. The audience witnesses both the humiliations Saha endured and the hypocrisy of those who opposed him, often through arguments that remain unsettlingly familiar even today. A particularly effective scene features a self-proclaimed Sanskrit scholar being intellectually dismantled by Saha.
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