The Pandulipi Pathmancha, an organisation for playwrights, began its journey on Saturday featuring a script reading by renowned playwright, director, and actor Mamunur Rashid at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s seminar hall.

The event was attended by playwrights, theatre workers, researchers, and cultural workers.

The platform’s member secretary, HM Motaleb, delivered the welcome speech, while its convener—poet, playwright, and actor Asadul Islam—briefed the audience on the platform’s role at the event, which was moderated by actress Sonia Hassan.

Theatre director and playwright Azad Abul Kalam, alongside playwright Mahfuza Hilali, attended the event as discussants.

Asadul Islam said that the platform would create opportunities for regular reading, discussion, and exchange of views on drama manuscripts, fostering creative dialogue among playwrights, directors, actors, researchers, and audiences.

He also mentioned that the platform will further enrich and energise the country’s drama practice through regular manuscript readings, workshops, and seminars.

Playwright Mamunur Rashid stated that a play’s script is never final.

‘A play takes on a complete form through rehearsals, directorial interpretation, actor participation, and various forms of improvisation,’ he said, adding that a script is fundamentally an incomplete medium, the completion of which occurs on stage.

‎He also said that public reading of manuscripts is an important cultural practice, which can also become popular in Bangladesh.

‎Renowned playwrights Masum Reza, Shakur Majid, Rezuanur Rahman, Apu Shahid, Abu Saeed Tulu and Nasreen Mustafa, among others, spoke at the event.

According to the organisers, the platform will organise regular readings of the play’s manuscripts every month.