Written by: EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE
2 min readSep 18, 2013 04:16 AM IST
First published on: Sep 18, 2013 at 04:16 AM IST
A scathing look at relationships,a commentary on the stress and aspirations of urban youngsters,and a story of a girl who defies her family to work in theatre are among the plays to be staged at the Mohan Rakesh Samman Samaroh over the next few days.
The festival,a tribute to the playwright Mohan Rakesh,has become an important platform for original Hindi playwriting and theatre production. Organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad Delhi,it began with Rakesh’s classic Adhe Adhure on September 16,and Shyam Kumar-directed Mare Gae Gulfam is the draw for today. The storyline revolves around a crook called Natwarlal who has an affair with two rich women,Rama and Kokila,with the obvious intention of extracting money from them. How Rama’s husband responds makes up one of the crucial twists of the play.
Sohaila Kapur’s Kaath ke Ghodey,on September 19,equates modern youth to wooden horses who want to race ahead but cannot because they are merely blocks of wood. “Lots of young men and women from the middle to lower middle-class are stuck in jobs that they dislike. Lacking the wherewithal to improve their condition,these youngsters dream away and are doomed to frustration,” says Kapur. She has treated the play like a “cotton candy comedy because I believe that tragedy also has a funny side”.
The final day celebrates the human spirit through Sapno ki Dehri ke Uss Paar,in which the protagonist Naina “fights for an identity as a theatre actor”. Director Krishnakant says,“Naina is determined to follow her dreams despite her father’s rants of theatre being useless as it brings no money”. How Naina persuades her family forms the core of the play.
The plays will be staged at Shri Ram Centre till September 20.
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