Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Feb 12: Shiv Batalavi’s ‘Loona’, a verse-play in Punjabi, was staged by Manch Rangmanch from Amritsar under the direction of well known theatre director Kewal Dhaliwal, at the Abhinav Theatre here today.
Presented as the penultimate production of the on the ongoing NIFT 2020, this production of ‘Loona’, first staged in 1992, has since run into more than 200 shows. The play is based on the ancient legend of Puran, the young prince from Sialkot, whose stepmother Loona, who is from a low caste, gets attracted to him. After being spurned by the pure hearted Puran (the Bhagat), Loona, seeks the revenge by convincing her husband to send Puran to exile/amputate his limbs. In the legend, Loona is the villain.
The poet Shiv Batalavi, a votary of progressive ideology, not only took a contrary view from the folk narrative but also created a new genre of modern Punjabi ‘Kissa; which is woven around pain of Loona, the young girl forcibly married to a much older man and who further suffers when her offer of love is rejected by Puran.
Today’s performance, presented in a style where the traditional narrative repertoire were used in combination with modern techniques of minimal sets enlivened by intelligent light design. The young actors in the role of Puran Bhagat and Loona successfully presented the contrast of their respective characters; while Puran was a picture of somberness, Loona, as the one smitten by desire was demanding and agitated. Kewal Dhaliwal as King Salwan, along with other senior artistes, who have been acting roles since the inception of the play, gave captivating performances.
Tomorrow, NIFT 2020 will conclude with play Kirtan by Brown Thespian, Chandigarh under the direction of Ambika Kamal.
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