Natyotsav 2026 brings Bengali plays Bitish Babu and Dayboddho to King Koti
The Uttarayan Sociocultural Association staged two celebrated Bengali plays, 'Bitish Babu' and 'Dayboddho', at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Auditorium in King Koti, Hyderabad, as part of its theatre festival 'Natyotsav 2026'. The event brought the local Bengali community together, aiming to promote contemporary Bengali theatre and strengthen the cultural bridge between Bengal and the southern states.
Long before the performances commenced, the auditorium in King Koti was filled with local theatre lovers and members of the Bengali community greeting each other. Uttarayan has been active in Hyderabad for nearly five decades, working to preserve Bengal’s cultural traditions through festivals, music, poetry, and theatre.
To select the plays for this year's festival, the organisers travelled to Kolkata to watch several productions before making their final choices.
Rahul Nandi, the joint general and cultural secretary of Uttarayan Sociocultural Association, explained the vision behind the event. He stated that the association remains committed to promoting art, literature, and culture. By bringing acclaimed productions from Bengal to Hyderabad, they aim to strengthen cultural ties while allowing local audiences to experience contemporary Bengali theatre.
The evening's first play, 'Bitish Babu', was written and directed by Dibyendu Paul. Set in Kolkata's historic Bow Barracks, the play follows David Gail, one of the last members of the city's Anglo-Indian community, as he revisits memories of family, music, childhood, and home. The story unfolds through his conversations with a bartender named Nikhil, played by Ashim Raychowdhury, reflecting on identity and a disappearing community.
Raychowdhury noted that the audience in Hyderabad connected deeply with the performance, stating that the greatest satisfaction for an actor is knowing that the story has touched the live audience.
The second production of the evening, 'Dayboddho', was written by Chandan Sen and directed by Meghnad Bhattacharya. The play explored trust, responsibility, and relationships built beyond blood ties.
Bhattacharya shared that the play focuses on unconditional love and responsibility, asserting that bonds are built on trust rather than blood, caste, or language. He also emphasized the unique nature of live performance, describing theatre as a direct medium that connects the actor and the spectator.
