বাংলার বহুরূপী/Bahurupis of Bengal

The video is a documentary on the bahurupis, folk performers of Bengal. The film looks at the bahurupis from the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum, Hugli and Murshidabad. The bahurupis are wandering folk performers who portray several hundred characters which are mostly mythological in nature like Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna. They are street performers who assume disguises to entertain rural masses. They wear glittering, eye-catching costumes of mostly Hindu gods and goddesses and adorn their faces with elaborate make-up. They wander from village to village to perform and in return get contributions from the audience. There was a time when a bahurupi was a common sight on the streets but now these performers are restricted to performing during special occasions or festivals like Ram Navami or the Charak festival. The bahurupis receive training from their masters or gurus in the art.