Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 6: Presentation of Hindi play ‘Nangey’ marked the second day of three-day short play festival being organized by Amateur Theatre group at the K L Saigal Hall, here today.
With playwright Moti Lal Kemmu present on the occasion and sharing with cast and audience the background and process of the writing of this play, the transposing of creative text to the stage, acquired a special significance. More so when play Nangey written in 1963-64 is counted as one of early examples in Hindi literature of the School of Absurd which had jolted the conventional perception and ideas with regards to human identity.
Directed by young Sandeep Verma, the play revolved around one Rati Raman, who is brought wrapped only in towel to police station for travelling in train without ticket. He pleads that as he is an educated unemployed man who was sleeping without clothes in the train as per his old habit. Someone stole his bag containing clothes, ticket and certificates etc. The towel was given to him by Chetna, the young female co-traveler to cover his nakedness.
The police officer thinks him to be a crazy person who has fabricated the story. Forced to stay in the police station, Rati Raman’s nonsensical acts infuriate the policemen who in order to chasten him point towards a painter who is languishing in a solitary cell.
Rati Ram’s ordeal ends when next morning Chetna comes to police station with his bag and ticket. The story ends with a massage that identity of a person lays within himself and not in clothes and other socially recognized markers of identity.
Today’s performance was refreshing for the fact that young director had chosen a script that has a universal relevance and also the way team of young actors successfully enacted the otherwise complex play high on symbolic content.
Vivek as Rati Raman, Rohit Sangotra as Inspector and Ankit Sharma as Qaidi, impressed with their roles that represented three different facets of ‘identity’. Shilakha Sharma in brief role of Chetna was noticeable for her energetic appearance marked with ease as well as élan. Other members of cast were Mohit Mehra as Munshi, Tovin Kumar and Love Anand as Sipahi one and two and Mohit Chib as Doctor. The last play of ongoing festival ‘Shooting’ directed by Mohit Mehra will be staged on Friday.
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