Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10: Nayika Bhoomika, a dance drama produced by Indrani Mukerjea Enterprise (IME), premiered last evening at the St Andrew’s Auditorium, Bandra, brought together four Rabindranath Tagore texts — Chokher Bali, Chandalika, Kabuliwala and Maan Bhonjon — presented back-to-back as a single continuous performance. The production is scheduled to be staged next at the Little Theatre Group, Mandi House in New Delhi on Jan 18, 2026.
Mukerjea led the cast and performed principal roles, including Binodini in Chokher Bali and Giribala in Maan Bhonjon. The evening was framed around a compact dramaturgy that favoured sustained attention and narrative continuity over breaks or episodic interruption.
“I felt we owed these characters the space they need,” said Indrani Mukerjea. “On stage we aimed to create a listening room, not to explain them away, but to let their contradictions and choices remain visible. That was the responsibility we carried into rehearsal and into performance.”
The production was conceptualised, directed and choreographed by Madhumita Chakraborty and Tony Chakraborty. Their choreography prioritised economy of movement and a close relation between physical gesture and dramatic intention.
“Choreography here was an act of excavation,” said Madhumita Chakraborty. “We worked to uncover what a body already holds — a memory, a refusal, a small decision — and let that guide the movement rather than the other way round.
Music for the production was composed and directed by Santanu Bhattacharya with arrangements by Abani Mohan Biswas. Vocal contributions came from Ujjal Mukherjee and Sharmistha Ghosh, supported by the Khanika Choir of Serampore. The creative and technical team included Kulraj Bedi (script), Jigna Bharadhwaj (voice-over), Abhishek Narayan and Chetan Dhawale (lighting), and Kailash Shelar (sets and backdrop). Creative promotion was handled by Ajay Kakad and Bhushan Bhavsar; event management was by Tonimita Events.
The cast featured Madhumita Chakraborty, Manini De, Subrat Panda, Aakriti Sharma, Subrat Panda, Nilesh Khandalkar, Nivedita Mohapatra, Sunil Bhuvad and a company of dancers from Nritya Vishakha.. Makeup and hair credits included Saleem Khan and Shona Shrivastav.
“As the Sutradhar, my task was not to interpret or explain the stories,” said Manini De. “It was to hold the space between them, so the audience could move from one world to the next without losing the emotional thread that connects all four.”
Following its Mumbai run, Nayika Bhoomika will present on Jan 18 at the Little Theatre Group, Mandi House, New Delhi.
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