This is an archive article published on March 17, 2021

Award-winning playwrights go to other worlds to make sense of the present

SM Azhar Alam, Vibha Rani and Ashok Lal win the first Nemichandra Jain Playwriting Award

4 min readPuneMar 17, 2021 06:20 PM IST

Nemichandra Jain Playwriting Award, Ashok Lal, SM Azhar Alam, Vibha Rani, indian theatre, theatre critic Nemichand Jain, indian playwrights, Shatru: The Enemy Within, Pregnant Father Vibha Rani, theatre news, theatre news indian express lifestyle

Roohein is about the men who occupied Mughal throne after the death of Aurangzeb and the arrival of Bahadur Shah Zafar. (Photo: PR handout)

In the 1990s, theatre critic and poet Nemichand Jain published a play by Ashok Lal, called Ek Mamooli Aadmi, in his magazine Natrang. “After that, the play became very well-known. It was nice of him to have made me a known and an accepted writer,” says Lal. Two decades before, Lal had created a play, Dekha Undekha, which Jain had reviewed in glowing terms for a newspaper.

This year marks Jain’s centenary celebrations, for which the organisation that he had founded, Natarang Pratishthan has instituted the Nemichandra Jain Playwriting Award. Lal is one of the recipients of the award; the others are SM Azhar Alam and Vibha Rani. Their plays were selected from among 66 scripts from across India. “It is an absolute honour. Jain had played a big role in developing awareness about what the stage can do,” says Lal.

His play, Shatru: The Enemy Within, revolves around India’s first emperor Ajatshatru, whose actual name was Kunika. Unlike Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother, and was punished severely, Ajatshatru appears to have transcended the atrocity of parricide to become one of the best-known emperors of the country. “The transformation is a very fascinating story. Most of us would like to embrace something positive and become better people but we don’t. It means that, unless we challenge the enemy within and conquer it, we will remain what we are,” says Lal. Saksham Theatre Group, Delhi, read the play on March 17.

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Shatru: The Enemy Within, revolves around India’s first emperor Ajatshatru, whose actual name was Kunika. (Photo: PR handout)

The other winner, who was stepped back in time and place to make sense of modern India, is SM Azhar Alam. As the country’s social fabric began to sag under hate crimes, he wrote Roohein about the men who occupied the Mughal throne after the death of Aurangzeb and the arrival of Bahadur Shah Zafar. “This 100-year span was full of decadence, bloodshed and treason. Political might become a reason to unleash any measure of cruelty,” says the playwright. As he walked the corridors of power in this period of history, Alam encountered the son of Aurangzeb whose beloved said that she had never seen anybody die in the water of a river. “The emperor ordered 100-150 people to be loaded on a boat that was sunk in the Yamuna to fulfil the wishes of the woman he loved,” says Alam. He found out about Dara Shikoh and of the shenanigans of Mohammed Shah Rangeela. “When I read history, I found strange events that seem similar to what was happening around me in terms of viral videos of lynchings,” he says. The play was read by Treasure Art Association, Delhi, on March 16, the first day of the ceremony.

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Performer Vibha Rani has been selected for her play, Pregnant Father, which explores gender politics in an entertaining way. In the play, a young man gets to know that he is pregnant — an incident that sends shockwaves not only through his family but also the world. His mother, however, who used to wonder what would happen if a man were to carry a child, is pleased by the developments. The play was read by Renaisstance Theatre Society, Delhi, on March 17. Nemichandra Jain Playwriting Award Festival is being held at Triveni Kala Sangam Auditorium, Mandi House, Delhi, on Wednesday evening.

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Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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