80s popular stage drama 'Galileo' has returned to stages again. The drama was made thirty years ago by Khan Ataur Rahman and was staged repeatedly for ten years till 1998. Then there was a gap of twenty years. Now it looks like it might continue once again. Recently the play was staged for the first time in the last twenty years at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Jatiya Mahila Samity, Bailey Road in the capital. Revised for the twenty-first century audience the new version has been directed by Pantha Shahriar. The drama like the original adaptation by Khan Ata presented Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor and theatre activist Aly Zaker in lead roles. Aly Zaker who has returned to public eyes after long illness played the role of scientist Galileo while Asaduzzaman Noor played three roles those of the Pope, principal and judge. With this drama Noor has returned to theatres after nearly twenty years.

The drama Galileo was originally written under the name 'Life of Galileo' by German playwright Bertolt Brecht in 1938. It is based on Italian medieval scientist Galileo Galilei. It received its first theatrical rendition in 1943 in Switzerland. For Bangladeshi audience Professor Abdus Selim translated the drama. Then Khan Ata adapted it for Bangladeshi stage. Now it has taken a new look under Pantha Shahriar. Pantha though has retained the actors from Khan Ata's version he has changed the duration and presentation style of the drama. To suit the time schedule of modern viewers he has reduced the runtime from two and a half hours to one and a half hours. He has also introduced modern stage arrangement and composition. He thinks that the young generation should get a taste of this new adaptation and learn about Galileo better. Galileo fought for truth in the face oppression, young people should learn about this. n