Saoli Mitra Smaran

To pay homage to our Guru, Saoli Mitra,  on her death anniversary

Her immortal creation “Naathavati Anaathavat” now gets the voice of her disciple, Arpita Ghosh.

• “Naathavati Anaathavat” is a legendary play written and used to be acted by Padmasree Late Saoli Mitra since 1983. The play, based on a narrative style, was originally acted as a solo acting, supported by musicians (called Jurir Dal). The play was immensely popular among the audiences across the country. Later on she also presented the play in a play-reading style and the acting style that she used was also immensely adored. The lone actress on the stage is the narrator or the ‘kathakar’. But she used to enact the characters also.
• The story of the play is based on Mahabharata and revolves around Draupadi, known for her beauty. It narrates how this noble soul faced life of an insult and sought redress of all the wrongs done to her in name of a Dharmayuddha. She has had five Pandavas as her husbands, but suffered like a destitute all her life. That is why the Mahabharata describes her as Naathavati Anaathavat i,e a woman inspite of having five husbands, remains without a protector.

• Arpita Ghosh, a very close disciple of Saoli Mitra, who she considered as her daughter, has picked up this art and is ready to carry the baton. She now performs the play as a play-reading on stage accompanied by musicians. Naathavati Anaathavat has thus not stopped. It continues as a legacy from the mother to the daughter and Arpita is now the “Kathakar”.