Meghnad Bodh Kabya by Michael Madhusudan Dutt is considered one of the greatest works in world literature and Goutam Halder takes center stage with his epic performance of Meghnad Bodh Kabya.

• Meghnad Bodh Kavya is based on the demise of Meghnad (a.k.a. Indrajit), son of Ravana, the king of Lanka, as narrated in the classic Sanskrit epic Ramayana.

• The play opens with an invocation of the Muses, Devi Saraswati in particular to inspire the narrator with an inward surging that could make him sing a song of a lofty theme describing the fall of a mighty hero.

• Rama reverently makes way for the army to enter the city of Lanka. Instead of Ravana, Meghnad decides to go to himself to lead the war. Indra is sent to Maya, the Dark Goddess of Magic and illusion, who gives the Weapons that, would see an end of Meghnad.

• Unaware of all these fateful design Meghnad takes leave of his beloved wife Pramila. Bivishana leads Lakshmana through the secret passage to the Nikumbhila temple where Meghnad, after offering his prayer, would attain invincibility. Meghnad is confronted by the duo and challenged to a war. Lakshmana, empowered by Maya, kills him in an unjust fight.

• The poem is divided into nine cantos, each depicting different events. It begins with the death of Beerbahu, Ravana’s son, and concludes with the sati-daha (the ancient Indian custom of burning widows alive with their deceased husbands) of Prameela, Meghnad’s beloved wife.