Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
WELL PLAYED, THREE IN A ROW!
Athree-day theatre festival was held in the state capital recently. Plays, focusing on different social themes, were staged at the Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium, Qaiserbagh.
The plays were organised by Kashish Arts and Welfare Society in association with Ministry of Culture, New Delhi. The chief guests for the festival were Institute of Professional Studies director Mayank Ranjan, Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts president Ravi Shankar Khare and historian Dr Yogesh Praveen.
The event opened with play titled ‘Agle Janam Mohey Bitiya Na Keejo’ written by Vibha Rani and directed by Ratna Agarwal. The play showcased the unchanged status of women in the society through two different stories based on true events presented through folk drama.
The theme of the play revolved around male chauvinism and characterising women as an inferior gender. The first of the play, set in medieval times, saw how a brother has intentions of marrying his own sister to fulfil his lust. The second part revolved around the oppressed condition of women in modern times. However, the play concluded on an empowering note.
The second play titled ‘My Sweetheart’ was a fictional romantic comedy written by Rekha Kaushik and directed by Punit Asthana. The story revolves around a middle-aged married businessman having two kids and is characterised as a philanderer.
The story unfolds as a comic drama with the entrance of the man’s wife and kids when he was girlfriend in her apartment. The play concluded on a happy note where the protagonist of the play realises his mistake and returns to his family.
The third play ‘Kya Karega Kazi’ was presented by Astha Natya Kala Rangmandal. It was written by JN Kaushal and directed by Ratna Agarwal. The story revolves around the idea of triumph of good over evil.
The drama is satirical comedy on the lives of the main characters named Roshni. She gets trapped in a marriage with a greedy old man Babban Khan. The final act sums up with Roshini reuniting with her lover who sweeps her away under the nose of Babban Khan.
The auditorium resonated with applause when Babban ends up in prison for his evil deeds and Roshini gets married to the love of her life.