Sara Zaker has been a shining light in the country's theatre arena for the better part of five decades now. She joined Nagorik Natya Sampraday just after finishing secondary school in 1972, at a time when the recently-liberated country was searching for its own cultural identity. Her first production with the troupe, “Baki Itihash”, premiered in February 1973, and her career on stage grew from strength to strength. Following it up with “Bidogdho Romonikul” and “Nishiddho Polli”, she has been a part of numerous unforgettable plays, continuing up to “Naam-Gotroheen: Manto'r Meyera” in 2014. The Daily Star recently caught up to the thespian, also this year's recipient of the Ekushey Padak, about her thoughts on Bangladesh's theatre, and more.
Asked about what the biggest challenge is for Bangladesh's theatre at the moment, Sara Zaker says: “Our country and society are moving forward at a rapid pace. New avenues of entertainment are coming up. And at the same time, the busy life and traffic problems are also limiting people to a certain degree. Shopping malls and food courts have become a place to go for the urban populace. And that is why theatre is losing its audience. We, as theatre activists, work entirely non-commercially, and we have to compete with commercial mediums like television. So we have to think of how to bring the audience back, and keep them hooked. We have to come up with new ideas. If the theatre scene progresses the same way we did forty years ago, we will be at the losing end -- because today's audience don't live in those times. They are moving ahead.”
“I have been in theatre for over four decades. I still get compliments from audience of those times for plays like 'Shot Manusher Khoje', that happened in 1976! People remember performances of 'Dewan Gazi'r Kissa' that was decades ago. Like we see with theatre audiences abroad, they are mostly middle-aged people. Because once a person starts enjoying theatre, they watch it all their lives. I think that is the space we are not being able to create today.”
The artiste also shared the feeling of receiving this year's prestigious Ekushey Padak. “When I was there, I honestly did not know how to feel. Other recipients were receiving their awards, and their bio and achievements were being read out. The ambiance of that moment was very moving. Finally, when I was receiving my award, I was overcome with emotion and tears began to roll down my eyes. It was a moment of a monumental achievement for me and the work I have done.”