Anuswar revives ‘Mahashunye Cycle’ at Mohila Samity

Anuswar Theatre is bringing back its acclaimed production "Mahashunye Cycle" with a fresh run at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mohila Samity, a year after its stage debut. The play will be performed seven times over four consecutive days, from December 24 to 27.

Originally staged in December last year, "Mahashunye Cycle" premiered at the same venue with eight performances over five days, drawing steady audience attention. Responding to continued interest, Anuswar has revived the production for a shorter but concentrated run this winter.

Adapted from the short story of the same name by noted fiction writer Shahaduzzaman, the stage version has been written by the author himself. Direction is by Saif Suman.

The opening performance will take place on December 24 at 7:30pm. From December 25 to 27, the play will be staged twice daily—at 5:00pm and again at 7:30pm—bringing the total number of shows to seven.

Explaining the core idea behind the play, playwright Shahaduzzaman says the narrative grows out of the conversations people carry at different levels of intimacy. "Some things we say to many, some to specific people, and some only to ourselves," he notes. "In moments of personal crisis, that internal dialogue tends to deepen and expand. That is where the idea of 'Mahashunye Cycle' comes from."

He adds that the play explores a single individual divided into two selves, placed face to face on stage. "The character is in conversation with his own fractured identities. As viewers, there is perhaps a quiet curiosity in watching such an intimate dialogue—or even a pleasure in recognising parts of oneself in that split."

Director Saif Suman situates the play firmly in the anxieties of contemporary life. "Consumerism and extreme individualism are pushing people further apart," he says. "We are becoming increasingly disconnected—from family, from friends, from society. At times, imagination or an inner, almost surreal world becomes more real than lived reality. Even while surrounded by people, one can feel profoundly alone. That emotional isolation is what the play tries to articulate."

The cast includes Mohammad Bari, S R Sampad, Prashanta Halder, Nuruzzaman Sarker, and Rima, among others, who bring to life the play's shifting psychological landscape.