BotTala to celebrate 16th anniversary with ‘Bannyatherium’ revival

Theatre troupe BotTala is celebrating its 16th anniversary, marking over a decade of contributions to Bangladesh’s theatre scene. Since its debut on August 27, 2008, BotTala has staged numerous acclaimed productions, including “Crutcher Kornel”, “Shokhi Rongomala”, “Khona”, “Rise and Shine”, “Soho Te Marx”, “Bannyatherium”, and “Jatugriha”.
To commemorate this milestone, BotTala has planned various events, including special theatre performances. On August 30, they will revive their popular play “Bannyatherium” with a special performance at 6pm at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mahila Samiti in the capital.
“Bannyatherium”, adapted from Sukumar Ray’s “Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary”, was scripted and directed by Ivan Riaz. The play tells the story of Wild Vision, a wildlife organisation that discovers an unusual species of “Tyash Goru” (a fictional creature). Under orders from the company’s president, Haru, the creature is captured, bringing fame to the organisation. As they pursue profit, they envision turning lush nature into a grey landscape, ignoring the consequences for oxygen, the food chain, and future generations. Through his storytelling, Chandrokhai gradually reveals his true intentions.
Reflecting on “Bannyatherium”, director Ivan Riaz shared, “It was 2016. The movement against the Rampal power plant and other projects threatening the Sundarbans was at its peak. At that time, I came across Sukumar Ray’s iconic ‘Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary’. The unique narrative, centred around nature and life, captured my attention. As I delved deeper into Ray’s rhymes, the idea of the ‘Tyash Goru’ emerged. Another rhyme, ‘Bombagorer Raja’, completed the picture. This is how ‘Bannyatherium’ was created.”
The cast of “Bannyatherium” includes Mahbub Masum, Mohammad Ali Haider, Sumit Tewari Rana, Ashraful Islam Ashru, Taufiq Hasan Bhuiya, Hafiza Akter Jhuma, Zainab Hasar Ithar, Zeiran Juhi, Lochon Palash, Sabuj Sarkar, Kazi Roksana Ruma, Shahadat Hossain, Afnan Rahman, Ontu Chandra Nath, Firoz Sheikh, and Monira Khatun Shristi.
As part of the anniversary celebration, BotTala will also present the “Nasiruddin Nadim Smriti BotTala Natya Kormi Award,” a biennial award aimed at inspiring the troupe’s members. The award will be presented during this year’s festivities.