Arup Das

The play Raktakarabi, known in English as Red Oleanders by Rabindranath Tagore, is set in the fictional kingdom of Yakshapuri, where inhabitants toil as slaves in gold mines under the rule of an unseen king who remains concealed behind a screen in his palace.

The protagonist's job is driving across the country screening family planning films in villages, often meeting with unpleasant responses from his target audience. His faith in life is sustained by his love for his dream girl — a beautiful actress he saw crying away in a film five years ago and has haunted him ever since. Writer-director Buddhadev Dasgupta won the National Film Award for Best Direction.