Actor-director Sanjoy Sarkar Muktonil, the leader of Batighar theatre troupe, has been honored with this year’s “SM Solaiman Pranodona 2025” award. The accolade, established by the Theatre Art Unit to acknowledge emerging talents in Bangladeshi theatre, was conferred during a ceremony held at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Monday evening.
The event commenced with performances of two songs by SM Solaiman, namely “Mayer Shagor” and “O Amar Ek Jonmer Jibon Re”. Following the musical tribute, Hasnat Pradip read out the Theatre Art Unit’s statement, and Lemon provided a brief biography of Solaiman. Subsequently, Muktonil was honored with a commemorative crest and a monetary prize as part of the recognition.
The latter part of the evening was dedicated to a panel discussion on “The responsibility and reality of stage workers in the dream of change, and the struggle to survive”. Notable theatre personalities Naila Azad Nupur, Azad Abul Kalam, Bakar Bokul, and Shamima Shawkat Lovely shared their insights during the session. The discussion was overseen by Selim Mahbub, the chief coordinator of Theatre Art Unit, and moderated by Ferdous Amin Biplob.
SM Solaiman, born on September 29, 1953, passed away in 2001, leaving a lasting impact on Bangladeshi theatre. Throughout his 48-year career, he directed over 30 plays, established several theatre groups including Theatre Art Unit, and held the position of general secretary at the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation. In 2014, he was posthumously honored with the Ekushey Padak award.
His body of work, characterized by a fusion of folk elements, music, and incisive political commentary, includes acclaimed productions such as “Khyapa Paglar Pyanchal”, “Ingit”, “Gani Mia Ekdin”, “Ah Comrade”, “Election Caricature”, “Ei Deshe Ei Beshe”, “Court Martial”, “Birth Fantasy”, “Golapjan”, and the popular musical “Amina Sundari” based on a Chittagong folk tale.
Since 2005, the Theatre Art Unit has been presenting the SM Solaiman Pranodona award annually to promising theatre artists and troupes. Previous recipients of the award include Aminur Rahman Mukul, Saidur Rahman Lipon, Shahadat Hossain, Anwarul Haque, Kazi Toufiq-ul Islam Imon, Trupa Majumder, Sudip Chakraborty, Samina Lutfa, Ramiz Raju, Bakar Bokul, Mohsina Akter, and Sayek Siddiqui, along with theatre groups like Somonnoy Theatre (Pabna Chatmohar), Manipuri Theatre (Kamalganj, Moulvibazar), and Protikkha Theatre (Habiganj).