Kolkata, Nov 2 (PTI) Union minister Sukanta Majumdar donned the role of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a theatrical production on the life and death of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
The play, titled 'Keshari Hatya', was staged at Rabindra Sadan here on Sunday night, with Majumdar also appearing as the narrator.
The production traces Mookerjee's political journey, including his resignation from the nation's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, the formation of the Jana Sangh and his political association with Vajpayee.
Majumdar, who usually occupies the political spotlight as a BJP leader and Union minister, stepped into the role of Vajpayee, one of Mookerjee's close political associates.
"I was offered the role. Every Bengali has a latent desire to act. So I agreed," Majumdar said.
The minister said rehearsals were conducted alongside his official engagements, adding that he had participated in them even after returning from visits to other states.
The organisers said the production seeks to present a comprehensive account of Mookerjee's life and death, including his agitation over Jammu and Kashmir, his political journey during that period, and the circumstances surrounding his death.
They said earlier plays on Mookerjee had depicted important episodes of his life but had not covered these aspects in their entirety.
Majumdar expressed confidence in the production, saying the audience's applause was an indication of how the play was being received.
"The applause of the audience tells you how the play is doing," he said, adding that he hoped it would be staged more frequently and reach audiences across districts of West Bengal.
Before the production, Majumdar had said he was not entirely new to acting, having performed in theatre during his student days, though not regularly.
