Shyama | Tagore Dance Drama | Kanika Bandopadhyay, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay ( free from you tube & story from internate calection )

      Tagore's “Shyama” is an epic composition. The script and story of “Shyama” is based on Tagore's poem “Porishodh”, composed by him in the Bengali calendar year 1343, inspired by the book “The Sanskrit Buddhist Literature of Nepal” by Shri Rajendralal Mitra. “Shyama” was first staged at the auditorium of Ashutosh College in Kolkata in 1936 and proved to be an instant hit. In 1938 Tagore had started to develop this into a dance work for the stage with the help of students at Shantiniketan. This was what he expanded and developed into the complete lyrical dance drama and renamed that as “Shyama” in 1939. The legacy of “Shyama” has continued ever since that day.
“Shyama” is essentially a romantic tragedy, though there are two love stories intertwined: That of Shyama and Bajra Sen, who at first are both in search of their initial partners. Then there is the unexpressed, unrequited love that Uttiyo has for Shyama which leads Uttiyo to sacrifice himself for her happiness. Both romantic situations are likely to be painfully familiar to many.
The (sakhi) companions in “Shyama” are literally Shyama's companions but they are sometimes used by Tagore in metaphorical roles as narrators or as the subconscious of one of the main characters.
Presumably to prevent his audience from missing the beauty of the spectacle, on the occasion of the first stage performance of “Shyama”, Tagore wrote:
"Let me confess that the story is immaterial. I ask my audience not to distract their attention by searching for meaning which belongs to the alien kingdom of language but to keep their minds passive in order to be able to receive an immediate impression of the whole, to capture the spirit of art which reveals itself in the rhythm of movements, in the lyric of colour, form and sound and refuses to be denied or described by words."
The drama narrates the story of a court-dancer, Shyama's love for Bajra Sen, a foreign merchant, who had his hopes high as he set off on his journey to find his bride. Indramanir Haar was what he had wanted to adorn his lover with. The 'haar'(necklace) was from Suborno Dip (island) and was one of the most precious royal valuables. Soon, he is seen being chased by a royal guard. They come across Shyama and her acquaintances. Strikingly beautiful Shyama is pursued by many but her heart is set on Bajra Sen since their chance encounter. The royal guards arrest Bajra Sen and Shyama starts plotting how to rescue the object of her affection and soon comes up with a plan.
How far would you go for someone you love? Shyama sacrificed all she had for love, even manipulating Uttiyo, one of her suitors, to take the blame for the crime committed by Bajra so that they could live happily together.
Kasturi Ghosh donned the role of Shyama while Surja Sankar Chatterjee and Arghya Majumder played the roles of Bajra Sen and Uttiyo respectively