India’s heroism in 1971 War gets ‘dramatic' representation

CHENNAI: The Good Deeds Club, a charity organisation comprising 100 women in Chennai, will present a gripping theatre play titled OP1971: The Birth of Bangladesh. This play is a tribute to the courage and camaraderie displayed by India during the Indo-Pak war. Produced and owned by NCC Udaan, it depicts the political, military, tri-service, operational, and tactical aspects of the war, along with portraying battle scenes and individual acts of gallantry. Curated by Major General Indrabalan (retired), the play will be staged at the Music Academy on August 7 from 5 pm onwards. The production features a fascinating star cast, including high-profile actors, promising an engaging and powerful performance.

OP1971 was originally conceived in Hindi as a realistic drama about India’s military campaign to liberate Bangladesh from Pakistani rulers. It depicts battle scenes, and the roles of political leaders, military commanders, soldiers, Mukti Vahini, and civilians. The idea was conceived by Maj Gen Indrabalan (Retd.), former Chief of Staff of Dakshin Bharat Area, during his tenure as ADG of NCC in Bihar. Seeing its popularity, Indrabalan decided to expand it into a mega theatre production. The first version in Hindi was successfully staged in Patna on August 5, 2023.

NCC Udaan TN further developed the Hindi version and handed it over to the theatre group SB Creations. Director SB Raman infused the play with South Indian flavour, enhancing the original script. The English adaptation highlights the true-life battle account of Tamil Nadu’s Vir Chakra hero from the 1971 war, Col A Krishnaswami. It also includes sequences on the valour of Sepoy Albert Ekka (posthumously awarded Param Vir Chakra), the Meghna Heli bridge operation led by Maj Gen Saghat Singh, and the Turai river crossing, as depicted in the original Hindi version.