About The Event
The Bloody Red Oleander is a contemporary adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s iconic play Raktakarabi (Red Oleanders), reimagined as a powerful protest against the oppressive structures of power, greed, and violence that continue to shape contemporary society.
Set in the industrial city of Yakshapuri, the play portrays a dystopian world ruled by an invisible and authoritarian King whose obsession with wealth and control crushes human spirit and individuality. At the heart of this world stands Nandini — a symbol of freedom, compassion, resistance, and hope — who fearlessly confronts the dehumanising machinery of oppression.
Blending Tagore’s poetic vision with present-day political realities in Bengal, the production transforms Nandini’s voice into a contemporary cry of protest against political apathy, systemic violence, and the continuing oppression of women. The fourth scene directly addresses the state’s failure and social complicity surrounding the 2024 Abhaya rape incident in West Bengal, exposing victim-blaming, institutional silence, and the protection of perpetrators by structures of power.
Through grief, rebellion, music, and collective resistance, The Bloody Red Oleander emerges as an urgent theatrical statement demanding justice, humanity, and moral awakening.
Cast & Crew
Original Play
Rabindranath Tagore
Edited By
Basanta Sena
Light & Direction
Deep Bhowmik
Cast
Nandini — Dhrupad Ghosh
Nandin — Pritam Saha
Khanjana — Anup Mondal
Khanjan — Shubhodip Dutta
The King — Deep Bhowmik
Backstage & Production Team
Stage & Properties — Shibaditya Sarkar
