Synopsis:

Lokkhoner Shaktishel is a farcical retelling of an episode from the epic Ramayana.  Written by Sukumar Ray in the early twentieth century, it has been one of the most enduring children's plays in Bengal.  Set as a musical, it shows an anxious and dysfunctional Ram’s camp fearing the wrath of Rabon.  Rabon kills Lokkon in the battlefield with the powerful Shaktishel.  Jambuban’s ayurvedic knowledge and Hanuman’s ability to bring in a mountain allows the revival of Lokkhon. The tongue in cheek nature of the play and the idiosyncrasies of the characters are always a powerful reflection of contemporary society.

Off-Kendrik chose to set this play to the background of real war, recreating the perennial Ram-Rabon war as a game played by young adults in an almost cartoonish manner reflecting on the desensitization of violence and the thin line between real and perceived war in today’s society.

Ramayana has been an important part of the heritage of the Indian subcontinent.  Every region and subregion have their own way of interpreting the rich tapestry provided by this epic.  Telling and retelling of the stories take contemporary forms to reflect the times.  This tradition continues with Lokkhoner Shaktishel.​​