Tasher Desh is one of Tagore's most famous dance operas, a unique genre he developed that was influenced by Western opera.
A Prince, tired of suffocating in his palace, goes in search of adventure. Accompanied by a far more conventional travelling companion, a Merchant, the mismatched pair get shipwrecked in the Land of Cards . Here the inhabitants are playing cards, well regulated and devoid of emotions. With the wild force of his personality, the Prince starts to effect change in the Cards and gradually their human qualities begin to emerge…
The Prince and the Merchant at Court. The Merchant extols the joys of royal luxury to a reluctant Prince
To lure the Prince to stay in the court the Merchant introduces his slave, the beautiful Princess Patrolekha
The Prince confesses that he despairs of life at court
Recognizing the Prince's unhappiness, the Queen agrees to let him depart to discover the world
The Prince and Merchant are ship-wrecked on a strange foreign shore
A card espies the Merchant
The cards sing the song of how they were born from the Great Yawn of the Creator but the Prince and Merchant cannot stand the sound of their singing
The cards sing their National Anthem
Horrified by how regimented everything is in the Land of Cards, the Prince shows how chaotic dance is in his country
Stirred by the Prince's example, Miss Ace and Miss Spade confide their odd feelings, when Miss Club catches them unawares and announces she has already decided to renounce life as a card.
Miss Heart persuades Mr Diamond to embrace freedom
Miss Spade, Miss Ace and Miss 10 experience sorrow for the first time
The revolt reaches even the Queen who refuses to stay in the palace any longer
Everyone celebrates the Prince successfully completing his mission
