Guwahati: The Assamese drama “Comfort Women: An Untold History,” presented by the Guwahati-based theatre group Abhigyanam, was performed at the 24th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, India’s leading international theatre festival.
The festival was organized by the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
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The festival, which runs from January 28 to February 16, 2025, is being hosted in eight Indian states, as well as in neighbouring countries Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The performance took place in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on February 6, 2025, receiving an overwhelming response from the crowd. Comfort Women: An Untold History, penned and directed by Ranhang Choudhury, has already earned acclaim on various platforms, including nominations in ten categories at the 13th META Theatre Festival. The play casts a light on the traumatic experiences of women during war and the enduring emotional scars they carry.
With riveting performances by Dhiraj Talukdar, Ripam Bhardwaj, Apurba Barman, Kuldeep Talukdar, Hemkumar Talukdar, Binod Das, Dulal Boro, Nirmal Barman, Nirjuraj Das, Rimjim Deka, Ajanta Hazarika, Dipanwita Das, Meenakshi Deka, Archana Kumari, Tarali Basumatari, Barasha Das, and Sunita Barman, the production left a profound mark on the audience.
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Sri Ranhang Choudhury, Director of the play, shared, “Bringing Comfort Women: An Untold History to the Bharat Rang Mahotsav has been an incredibly humbling journey. This play is more than just a stage performance—it’s a voice for the untold stories of countless women who suffered in silence. The tremendous response from the Ranchi audience also affirms theatre’s power to spark conversations about historical wrongs. I’m deeply thankful to my entire team for their hard work and to the National School of Drama for offering us this esteemed platform to share our narrative with a broader audience.”
The technical excellence of the play was enriched by the talents of Dimple Kumar Das (Lighting), Dhanjit Boro (Music Projection), Nirjuraj Das (Makeup), Barasha Devi and Rimjim Deka (Costume Design), and Bikul Boro & Dulal Boro (Set Design & Stage Management).
Bharat Rang Mahotsav, the world’s largest theatre festival, saw participation from numerous international and national theatre troupes, with ten Assamese productions securing a distinguished place in the event.
The successful staging of Comfort Women: An Untold History at such a renowned platform highlights the vitality of Assam’s theatre scene and its capacity to address globally significant issues.