Dharani Barman (left) receives an award from former governor Loknath Mishra. Picture by S.H. Patgiri

Guwahati, July 28: Dharani Barman, the last of Assam?s theatre titans, is returning to the stage after a 20-year hiatus in the very role that made him a household name.

At 6 feet two inches, Barman?s physical stature matches his towering reputation as an actor. Now 81, he still feels ?very young, very fresh? and ready to reprise his much-loved role in the play Siraj, the story of a fiery hero with a never-say-die attitude.

Barman will act in the play for two nights ? August 9 and 10 ? at Samata, near Nalbari, before taking his last bow.

But why has the man who started his acting career with icons like Bishnu Rabha and Phani Sharma chosen a small place like Samata for his curtain call?

?Because that is where I started my stage career. That is where I want to complete the journey,? he told The Telegraph today over the phone from Nalbari. The play will be staged in the auditorium of the Rupkonwar Kala Parishad at Samata.

The pensioner artiste and winner of many awards revealed that he decided to return to the proscenium ?mainly to satiate my stage lust and fulfil the wishes of friends and family?.

Barman had to give up acting because of ailments, leading to heart surgery. ?It was with great pain that I stopped acting on stage. But deep within, I could always feel a restlessness,? he said.

Now that he has decided to make a comeback, Barman can?t wait to be Siraj all over again. ?I know the character of Sirazuddin Hazarika inside out. He runs in my blood,? the thespian said.

Siraj is a story woven around the theme of Hindu-Muslim unity. Phani Sarma and Bishnu Rabha first made it into the pathbreaking film of the same name in 1947. It was only in the sixties that they turned it into a play.

For Barman, born on January 25, 1926, in a village under Nalbari district, acting came later. In school, he was a footballer who dreamt of making it big in the sport. ?I wanted to play for the state, even for the country,? he revealed.

A chance visit to a jatra in his village changed his orientation and he decided to become an actor. Barman's first play was Piyoli Phukan, based on the life of the freedom fighter. His acting prowess caught the eye of Sada Lahkar, among the leading lights of the state?s mobile theatre movement and the owner of the now-defunct Nataraj Opera.

Barman not only joined the mobile theatre bandwagon, he went on to launch his own group, Suradevi Theatre. It was on the Suradevi stage that he thrilled and terrified audiences across the state as dacoit Ram Singh in the famous play Abhisapta Chambal.

Suradevi Theatre, however, had to be shut down after a few years due to financial problems.

What Barman cherishes the most is acting alongside Bishnu Rabha and Phani Sharma. ?Those were the days. I remember each moment with them very clearly,? he said. ?My last act will also be a tribute to them. It will also be my best, I hope.?