Journalism of Courage
51 teams from across the state are geared up for the Purushottam Karandak finals
The inter-college theatre competition,Purushottam Karandak,is back and 51 college teams are all set to battle it out on this stage. The selection process,which was on from August 16,saw the teams being scrutinised and only the best being chosen for the final rounds which will be held on September 17 and 18. Among the 51 plays,21 are self-composed and the rest are adaptations.
Each team has been given an hour’s time to set up the stage,organise the lighting and complete the skit. A maximum of 16 members are allowed in one team, says Hemant Vaidya,the secretary of Maharashtriya Kaloposak,Pune,that organises Purushottam Karandak.
Ahmednagar University students are in town with their play,Merit,which is a take on the pressures of academic life. The protagonist of the play is a young kid who is coaxed by his parents to take up Science in junior college. The child wants to be an artist but because of the pressure from his parents,he struggles with science until one day he tries committing suicide. It is based on a true story, says Mahesh Kale,the director. Kale has shown a positive end to the play – a friend takes control of the young student’s life. Ahmednagar University has been participating in Purushottam Karandak for the past four years consecutively. We were extremely nervous while competing against the best teams of Pune. However,we are hopeful about this year, adds Kale.
Fergusson College students are ready with Ravi Par,a play which tracks the Partition of India and Pakistan and the ordeal which people had to go through in 1947. Last year’s champions,MIT College of Engineering,will showcase the issue of unwanted pregnancies in the modern era. We are showing case studies of three sections of the society – IT company couples,teenage couples and slum dwellers, says Shweta Pethkar,the writer of the play,Serial Killer.
