Slice of Punjab

The festival opened with renowned director Anita Devgan’s production,Damru,which is scripted by Hardeep Gill and performed by an Amritsar-based group,The Theatre Person. It’s the story of how men dominate the lives of women,irrespective of their sensitivities,as the director brings on stage the pathos of a young woman,who is married to a middle-aged man against her will and lives an incomplete life. And when she meets and falls in love with a young man,she is yet again denied the right to her feelings,as this relationship is “against society’s norms”.

On February 28,TFT’s hit play Chehray,written by Shankar Shesh and directed by Sudesh Sharma will be staged in Punjabi. “The play shows how each one of us is wearing a mask,how we are not what we look like and are two different people on the inside and outside. Actor,politician,farmer,businessman — when the masks come off,what emerges are wolves in the form of humans,” says Sharma.

On the third day of the festival,Kirti Kirpal will present a comic play,Agli Dastak Hon To Pehlain,which has been written by Pali Bhupinder and performed by Natyam Group from Bhatinda. The theme of the play is spiritual,on how we all keep waiting for a new day and then finally one day realise that to experience a new beginning,we have to awaken our consciousness. With that knock begins a new journey.

On the final day of the festival,Gaurav Vij will present Jinne Challe Mere Palle,scripted by Sparsh and performed by Sparsh Theatre Society,Abohar. It’s a satire on the “so-called intellectuals”,says Sharma,“who speak more than they listen,think they know it all,have no concern or regard for the other person’s point of view. In the end,it all comes to zero,for it’s only their voice that they end up listening to.”

The plays will be staged at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,Chandigarh,6.30 pm onwards.

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