Nanichora Das Baul, a ‘buhurupi’ entertainer has made history by composing music and lending his voice to the film Bohurupi in the Bengali film industry. Directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, the film is not only about a heist. But also focuses on the gradually decaying bohurupi culture which had flourished in Bengal.
Supporting the voice of Shiboprosad Mukherjee, it was impossible in geographies where films were made without considering the input of the Nanichora Das Baul.
It was for the first time in our industry that he was not only an actor in the film but also sang, wrote the lyrics and composed the music.
These days bosuri dancers work on stage and prepare the audiences for the serious forms of dramatization. Shiboprosad explained the cultural aspects of the bohurupati thus: Their multicolored costumes make them sound unusual while they can be seen rightfully walking with the wAes at Bhaktapur or any town.
A bohurupi is one of the rare artefacts as their traditional form is fast vanishing. People understand that most of these bouhrupis belong to the district of Birbhum. A large number of the core folk artistes based in Bengal are voyagers with only around 108 remaining. In the same way, the concern for the survival of the endangered artisans who did rosy work as ‘Bohurupi’ artisans hovered over him.
Traditionally, bohurupis were used by the British police to capture the revolutionaries and later by the local rulers to capture criminals. In spite of its glorious background today’s bohurupis are often treated as a class of street beggars without recognizing their artistic merit.
Shiboprosad considered it today’s misfortune of these artistes stating, “Today, if a bohurupi artiste enters a bus, their presence is always ignored. I request you to pay attention to the song of Nanichora and see how much harmony he adds in our film.”
With the interest growing, there is sense that the expectations from the singer Baul Nanichora Das with the first song from the film will help in averting the oblivion from the bohurupi practice.
