Editorial

            An everlasting writing is neither bound to time, space, and place nor does colors the loaned ideas into new dress: likewise Selim Al Deen is, endowed with rare qualities, a man of meditation in the area of Bangla Natya. Though at the beginning of his prolific output he started with poetry, story, Bengali and non-Bengali literary  essays, and television drama, subsequently the periphery of his writing became theater for which the continuity of the tradition of ancient drama/theatre blossomed in a new manner of Bengali Theatre ­­­— Modern Bengali Narrative Theatre. We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that we have acquired the electronic rights of the original as well as the translation rights of all the works of Selim Al Deen. This has been possible only because of Subarnoputra Nasiruddin Yousuf Bacchu,the successful proponent of the modern narrative tradition of Bangla natya, who has been extremely kind to provide us the written consent for the same. This, we believe, would mark a memorable occasion in the history of the world theatre.

            The Bengali drama lost its beauty, humor, smell, and color in the 200 years’ reign of the British Empire in the undivided India. Its body became pale and polluted by containing the extravaganza of Western tricks and artifices: it departed itself from its own colorful periphery. The sublimity of Rabindranath Tagore rejuvenated the flexibility of Bengali Theatre by soothing the eternal tune of Bengali drama. His lyrical and dance drama after 1907 gets the enhancement and exuberance of the modern dramatic style of  Bengal which is a conglomeration of original beauty, humor, smell and color of a unique dramatic poetry which is solely Bengali’s own in the last quarter of 20^th century especially in the decade of 70’s by Selim Al Deen.

            Our labor would be fruitful if Bangla Natya acquires a real place through proper identity beside the glory of world theatre. We are not limited, yet we are limited in myriad ways. It is our determination to overcome the limitation. So, we are expecting the sole co-operation from the admirers of art.

            May the song of equality and humanity live long!

Bivash Bishnu Chowdhury