Ravinder Kaul
Jammu, Dec 20: Today’s performance began on a sour note. The play which was scheduled to begin at 4.30 pm, actually began at 6.15 pm as some private school was holding its Annual Day Function at the same venue, denying the artistes an opportunity of holding their final stage rehearsal. This affected the performance adversely, at least in the beginning. There had been some mix-up in the booking of the auditorium which could have been avoided.
The play ‘Aaiena’, presented by Triple A Performing Arts in the Weekly Theatre Series being organized by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at Abhinav Theatre, explores themes of beauty, societal, pressures and the complexities of women’s lives. It reveals the lives of women and girls engaged in self-adornment, juxtaposing beauty with the unpredictable nature of life. The central character, Nirmala, navigates between love and existence, highlighting the need for authenticity and deeper meaning beyond superficiality. The play serves as a call for genuine living, challenging social lenses on life and encouraging genuine reflection and true essence of existence.
The play acts as a mirror reflecting uncomfortable societal truths often hidden by appearances. The narrative addresses issues such as the stigma faced by widows, the loneliness of unmarried individuals, and the pressure on women to maintain a perfect image. It is a social commentary aimed at audiences to confront and discuss these realities, advocating for change in societal perceptions.
Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’, the author of the play, had picked up some uncomfortable threads from the society in which we live and weaved this play to show a mirror to it. He has succeeded in highlighting the unsightly warts and laid these bare for the viewers to identify and reflect upon. His poetry in the play was very moving and thought provoking.
The artists did a fair job in portraying their respective characters despite the difficulties as explained in the beginning. J.R.Sagar was his usual competent self as Janak and Seema Kamal personified the roles of Nirmala with finesse. King C. Bharti very ably presented himself first as the young, handsome and later as the ailing Nishant. The role of Nirmala as a child was very ably and innocently presented by Pranvika Sharma. Other artists Savita Sharma, Aarti Bakhshi and Rishab Yashovardhan too gave a good account of their acting prowess.
Background Music arranged and managed by Shazi Dilshad Khan and Ishu Bharti Pandit was soothing and as per the moods in the play. However, the transition between different music pieces was not smooth and seamless and quite jerky. Music for poems by Kuldeep Saproo was melodious. Make-up by Shammi Dhamir, particularly in case of transforming King C. Bharti, was excellent. Sets Design by Vinay Dagar was appreciable.
Vijay Kapoor, the Director of the play, exhibited promise through this play and despite initial hiccups, could stand his ground.
One feels like concluding this piece with an Urdu couplet that reflects the overall theme and message of this play:
“Apne chehre ke kisse dagh nazar aate hain,
Waqt har shakhs ko ayeena dikha deta hai.”
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