Madhusudan Mancha

“Poka” is a Bengali stage adaptation inspired by The Metamorphosis. It follows Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning transformed into a grotesque insect. Once the sole provider for his family, Gregor now finds himself helpless, unable to communicate, and increasingly isolated. A symbolic mirror acts as his inner voice, revealing that his dehumanization began long before his physical change, through a life of mechanical routine and suppressed desires.

As his family reacts with fear and disgust, their initial concern fades into resentment. His father becomes hostile, his mother remains weak, and his sister Gretta—once caring—gradually withdraws, ultimately seeing him as a burden. Stripped of dignity and identity, Gregor realizes his place in the family is lost. The play explores themes of alienation, conditional love, and the brutal reality of being valued only for one’s utility in society.