Streer Patro
Streer Patro
Written in an epistolary form, the story is about Mrinal who has written a letter to her husband. She is writing a letter for the first time in their fifteen years of being married. Writing from Puri, she recalls her childhood and how she came into his family as the second bride in his joint family. Through the institution of marriage, she recalls how in the marriage market, looks constitute the most important part to be bride. Intelligence was a curse. She used to secretly write poems and at her husbands house. Her daughter dies after being born and the confinement in which Mrinal has to stay has been described as unhygienic. The entry of Bindu in her life brings a change and Tagore shows the treatment of women as dependents in a house. The suffering that Bindu goes through and the final outcome of her committing suicide goes to show the extent of emotional abuse a woman goes through and is still blamed even after her death for the errors that haven’t been committed by her. Mrinal unable to bear the suffocating environment of the house decides to leave behind everything under the pretext of going on a pilgrimage and decides to secretly take Bindu along. By the time the letter comes to an end, we find Mrinal free in person and in her thoughts- freely able to convey what she thought about the society in general and her husband in particular.
Tagore through the story of Mrinal speaks out about every small vice which still prevails in India even at the turn of the century -the upper castes, patriarchy and child marriage to name a few. Mrinal suffers because of her intelligence.
The play is produced by Pancham Vaidic. Dramatized, directed and solo acted by Arpita Ghosh.
Play: Rabindranath Tegore
Dramatised & Directed by ArpitaGhosh
Acting: ArpitaGhosh
First Show: