W
hen Khadiza Bithi Akther first came across Joydeep Mukherjee’s film adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s short story Detective, she was not looking for her next production. She was simply reading. But the more she sat with the story — its suspense, its humour, its quiet emotional weight — the more she felt it asking to be put on a stage.
“The plot captured my attention immediately,” she tells The Indian Sun. “And what could be more meaningful than bringing Tagore’s Detective to life while placing it against the backdrop of the 1905 Partition of Bengal and the rise of the Swadeshi movement?”
Bithi, as she is known to her community, is a founding member of Actomania, Melbourne’s Bengali theatre group, and this year she steps into the director’s chair for what she describes as a creative milestone. The production, simply titled Detective, opens this month and brings together a cast drawn from Melbourne’s Bengali diaspora — people who, she says, bring not just acting ability but a personal connection to the world Tagore created.
The story itself is deceptively layered. On the surface it is a mystery — the kind Bengalis have always loved, from Feluda to Byomkesh Bakshi to Sherlock Holmes. But Bithi and her team have woven something deeper into the fabric of the adaptation, threading the Swadeshi movement and the early stirrings of Indian nationalism through the narrative. For many younger Bengali Australians, she says, this may be their first real encounter with the events that shaped modern Bengal.
“For a second-generation audience member who goes home and asks their parents, ‘What was the Partition of Bengal?’ or ‘What was the Swadeshi andolon?’ — if that happens, we have achieved something meaningful,” she says.
The production carries what Actomania’s promotional material calls “the smell of Kolkata”, a phrase that clearly means something personal to Bithi. For her, nostalgia for the city runs deeper than memory. It is the aroma of street food and the sound of tram bells, the bustle of College Street and the warmth of neighbourhood addas. It is the particular spirit of a city where, as she puts it, the past and present coexist on every corner.
“For Bengalis living far from their birthplace, nostalgia is the longing for those moments, people, and places that helped shape who we are,” she says. “It is the feeling that returns when we hear a familiar song, remember a childhood street, or recall the city’s unique spirit.”
Recreating that atmosphere in Melbourne is a deliberate choice, but Bithi is careful to distinguish between recreation and bridge-building. The goal, she says, is not to reproduce Bengal exactly but to honour its roots while remaining accessible to a diverse Melbourne audience. The themes of Detective — humour, human nature, the curiosity of a good mystery — are universal. The Bengali setting enriches the storytelling without limiting it.
The play used selected Rabindrasangeet, recorded by local artists, to set the tone. It also featured original songs and background music composed by the production team to enhance the overall theatrical experience.
Rehearsals have not been without their lighter moments. Bithi recalls last year’s production, which had a supernatural theme and rehearsals held at the Oakleigh chamber, situated in the middle of a cemetery. Someone, she does not say who, suggested that one rehearsal should be held in the cemetery grounds itself, to help the cast connect with their characters. It was a prank, she admits, but the expressions on some of the cast members’ faces made it entirely worth it.
This year’s cast was selected for what Bithi calls ensemble chemistry — the ability to move between the playful and the profound, to carry the humour of the mystery while also holding the historical weight underneath it. “We looked for actors who could capture the curiosity, warmth, and wit of Tagore’s work for contemporary Melbourne audiences,” she says.
For Bithi personally, directing Detective represents something larger than a single production. To engage with Tagore’s work, she says, is both a privilege and a responsibility — one the whole team carries consciously. “For Bengalis, Tagore’s creation is far more than literature. It is a way of life. His words accompany us through moments of joy and sorrow, celebration and reflection. No matter where we go or how far we travel from our roots, we inevitably return to him.”
After more than a decade of community theatre with Actomania, it is the connections, not the applause, that keep her going. “The real reward lies in the friendships we build, the memories we create, and the sense of accomplishment we share throughout the journey,” she says. “Those experiences remain with me long after the curtain falls.”
Detective plays at the Drum Theatre on Saturday, 15 August. For tickets, click here.
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