Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Mar 8: Dedicated to the memory of Danesh Dogra, one of the talented actors of Jammu and Kashmir, today’s gripping performance of the modern classic play Komal Gandhar lit up the stage of the Abhinav Theatre, here today.
A presentation of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages (JKAACL), the thought-provoking play reimagines the Mahabharata from the perspective of Gandhari and came out as a befitting tribute on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Written by Dr Shanker Shesh and directed by Bhupinder Singh, the play opens with the young princess Gandhari lost in ecstatic reverie, dreaming of meeting her handsome groom, Prince Dhritarashtra. Her dreams are shattered when she discovers that she is to marry a blind king. Feeling deceived by her own parents for their political gains, she is devastated. Determined to turn her anguish into defiance, Gandhari chooses to blindfold herself forever.
The drama re-examines Gandhari not merely as a mythological figure but as a victim of circumstances who transforms her suffering into a powerful moral statement. Though set in a mythological period, the play also acts as a sharp commentary on modern political and social structures where ethical values are often compromised.
The entire cast delivered compelling performances that vividly portrayed the psychological dilemmas of key Mahabharata characters. Balwinder Singh played the conflicted Dhritarashtra afflicted by putra moh, while Gurmeet Kaur portrayed the resilient and devoted Gandhari with conviction. Arvind Anand appeared as the duty-bound Bhishma, Mukesh Bakshi as the revenge-driven Shakuni, Rishab Manhas as the self-gratifying Duryodhana, and Soham Kashyap as Sanjay, bound to truth and duty and Deepshikha as Dasi. The chorus included Sahil Bazaz, Narved Singh Jamwal, Rakesh Kumar, and Dhariya Singh.
The production was particularly notable for its aesthetically rich stage design by eminent theatre personality Deepak Kumar. Other production credits included Ashish Sharma for Music Operation; Pankaj Sharma and Aditya Bharti for Light Design and Execution; Sahil Qureshi for Costume Design; Shiv Dev Singh and Pintu Bhat for Make-up; Ajay Kumar for Props and Set Execution; and Jyeshtha Jamwal for Brochure and Poster Design. Ravi Sharma and Sahil Bazaz served as Assistant Directors, while Mohit Singh Chib served as Production Manager.
Among the prominent audience members were former minister Priya Sethi, theatre stalwart Balwant Thakur, Deepak Kumar, Secretary JKAACL Harvinder Kaur, and Additional Secretary Sonali Gupta.
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