Dasarath Manjhi - A mountain of resolution ( दशरथ माँझी - एक पर्वत संकल्प का )

Played on 28.6.2016
Played at Kalidas Rangalay, Patna
Director and Playwright by Mithilesh Singh
Light by Ravi Bhushan 'Bablu'
(Name of all artists given below. Send your views or suggestions to  hemantdas_2001@yahoo.com)

REVIEW BY HEMANT 'HIM': The performance was marvelous in terms on several counts like direction, acting, stage design and music. The actors playing the role of father of Dasrath and their chums were superb. Dasrath and his wife were impressive with their  acting skills. The duet of singing with dance sequence of Dasrath and his wife was a rejoicing feast for viewers.  The director succeeded in depicting the genesis and development of rare kind of determination in a man living at the lowest rung of society. Even more than that the living conditions of Bhuiyan (Mushar) caste was also reflected truly. The play initially begin with the issues of caste-division but very soon gets to it’s main subject that is a show of mountainous resolve of a penniless man. Costumes, light and sound were also neck and neck in excellence.  The whole team deserves standing ovation. 

STORY IN DETAIL: This is  a story of determination, courage and sensitivity.  Dasrath a person at lowest strairs of caste divide,  lives in interior village surrounded by hills. The location is in such a terrain where even the wealthiest person has to take his wife to hospital by carrying on shoulders through the higher hills because no vehicle can reach the village. The biggest obstruction is a hill which is not only a natural barrier in passage to-n-fro  village but do actually signifies the apathy of bureaucrats and politicians. Dasrath once went to the Delhi hundred of miles away just by walk along the railway track as he has no money to buy tickets. But who hears the poor’s voice here? He came back empty handed. He loves his wife too much and refrains from any bad habits like drinking and fighting uselessly. Though he too accepts his destiny of a labourer career, he always thinks to make the life of co-inhabitants  a little better.  And once he finds that his wife fell down on the high hill carrying water for him. His calmness goes away and he comes in pensive mood.  Finding no way to solve the problem he ultimately resolves that he will cut the hill himself and will make it an easily communicative village. He begins to cut the hill manually with spade. The progress is slow. No help comes from outside.  The death of his wife strengthens his resolve and he continues cutting the hill on daily basis. After twenty-two years of his diligent work the hill is broken and becomes communicative. Everyone salutes him even the bureaucracy and the people from higher strata of society.  The play conveys a direct message to masses that they should decide and begin to work towards removing their burning problems in their very right earnest regardless of others support. Others will first fool you and even put obstructions in your work though will salute once you come along successfully.
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ACTORS: Dasrath Manjhi- Uday Sagar, Puneshwar Manjhi- Niranjan Kumar, Rajdev Singh- Kumud Ranjan 'Lekhu', Faguniya- Rajani Sharan, Bhuna Manjhi- Sadanand Kr. Paswan, Wife of Rajdev Singh- Babli Kumari, Mangru Manjhi/ Coolie- Dipak Anand, Passenger/TTE- Vinod Kr.
BACKSTAGE: Music- Sanjay Upadhyay, Songwriter- Satish Kr. Mishra, Singers- Sanjay Upadhyay, Punit Mishra, Recordist- Pankaj Sharma, Stage design- Prof. Shyam Sharma, Stage construction- Sanjay Vishal, Ranjit Kr, Light& Sound- Rajkumar, Upendra Kr, Costumes properties- Hiralal & sons, Production Asstt- Pravin 'Pappu', Dresses/Make-up - Abhimanyu Priya, Uday Sagar, Property-in-charge - Rameshwar Kumar, Stage arrangement- Siddhant Kr, Sujit Kr 'Uma', Media-in-charge - Manish Mahival, Recoroding Studio- Whats Next Studio, New Delhi, Special Sound effects- Kishore Sinha.

Kathputali -The revolt of a puppet ('कठपुतली' बनी नारी का विद्रोह)

Played on 28.6.2016

Played at Kalidas Rangalaya, Patna

Occasion of 56th anniversary of foundation of Bihar Art Theatre, Patna

(Name of all artists given below the story. Send your views or suggestions to hemantdas_2001@yahoo.com)

REVIEW BY HEMANT 'HIM': ‘Kathputli’ was a director’s play though it should have been of actors. Nevetheless, the veteran director showed his remarkable skills. The actors playing the roles of Advocate, his wife, friend doctor, governess, servant, employee and others definitely did justice to their and performed perfectly what they were asked for. Though, in general more leeway of acting was required, the character of advocate’s wife came out remarkably with her realistic flavor.  She actually lived the grief of neglected housewife in a true sense.  Kudos to her. The advocate and servant were also natural in expressions. The governess did well while delivering dialogue and feminine gesture towards the doctor was impressive. The doctor also did justice to his character though there perhaps is some more scope of agility befitting to his amative character. Costumes, dress, light and sound were fine. The story is very relevant and raises the genuine grievances of a housewife whose husband has no care of her feelings.

STORY IN DETAIL: The character of successful advocate is rather stoic while at home. In the beginning he seems to be an average husband but it is not long when it is conspicuous that he has hardly any regard for even the routine-life freedom of his better half. He takes account of each and every penny spent by her and objects why she goes to the market without someone’s company. Though there is no dearth of money in the house at present and it is well off enough to hire a regular governess who takes care of children and a servant. The wife has no such obligation of chores or shortage of money though she is peeved for the attitude shown by her advocate husband. His behavior lacks chivalry and persuasiveness, the essentials of husband lately. In such a circumstance it is no wonder that she gradually feels herself dragged emotionally towards a family doctor who is bachelor and is a regular visitor to the house. Here you may wrongly assume that you have caught the plot. You haven’t yet.

The main twist in the story is a subordinate employee of the advocate’s company who had stolen some money and is now facing fierce prosecution by the advocate. He is on the brink of getting severe punishment and loss of job. He urges the advocate’s wife to save him from loss of job and reveals that  the money was stolen actually on the directive of her father for medical treatment of the advocate who was seriously ill at some point of time in past. He gives some documentary proof which makes it starkly evident that the advocate’s wife was also complicit in that theft though with a pious purpose of saving the life of her husband. The advocate comes to know about the complicity of her wife in the theft of money and is flabbergasted as he is in an impression that the money was theft for sybaritic purpose of his wife’s father.  He conveys his wife that he is enraged on her act and ordains her to stay in the house with a status of a servant and should keep herself aloof from the her own children. The advocate thought it would save their children from the bad nature of their mother.

Now the wife feels that the water has gone above her head. In a touching climax she calls her husband who is shivering seeing the furious mood of his wife. She declares that she is leaving his house for ever in search of a life where she can breathe freely.She leaves the house while the advocate stays as a hangdog.

Playwrite by Anil Kr. Mukherjee

Translated by Ramesh Rajhans & Ajit Ganguli

Direction and Concept by Ashok Ghosh

Acted by Chakrapani- Udit Kr, Nirmala- Ujjwala Ganguli, Shankar Narayan- Alok Gupta, Avinash-Vishnudev Kr, 'Vishu', Kirtiman- Umang Kr & Vinita- Divya Singh

Backstage support-  Stage design-  Pradip Ganguli, Music composition-  Vaiwabh Vishal, Light by Raj Kr. Sharma, Sound by Upendra Kr. , Make-up - Chandana Ghosh, Shashank Ghosh, Costumes & Dresses- Sandip Kr, Stage property- Krishna Naidu, Stage design- Hira Mistry, Further support- Santosh, Pravin, Rajesh, Sarfuddin, Birbal, Sanjay, Pravin, Madhukant, Asstt Directors- Karishma Suman, Divya Singh, Special thanks- Amiya Nath Chatterji, Announcer- Arun Kr. Sinha, Production Asstt- Gupteshwar Kr, Production Controller- Kumar Anupam.

Review of 'Tum Aao Chahakte Hue' published in Hindustan (daily) हिन्दुस्तान (दैनिक) में प्रकाशित समीक्षा

हम वास्तव में ‘हिन्दुस्तान’ (दैनिक) के आभारी हैं जिन्होंने हमारी पुस्तक की इतनी गहरी समीक्षा की और प्रकाशित किया. निश्चय ही, उनके पास कवि की महीन से महीन भावनात्मक तरंगों को पकड़ सकने वाली कोई तेज रडार है और साथ ही विहंगम दृश्य को देख पाने की दृष्टि भी. (हिन्दुस्तान, 22.6.2016 पटना लाइव, पृष्ठ सं. 3)

We are really grateful to ‘Hindustan’ (daily) for their sharp and deeply rooted review of our book. They undoubtedly have a high- power radar to catch up the minutest frequencies of the poet and the prowess to see things with bird’s eye view as well. ('Hindustan', 22.6.2016, Patna Live, Pg No.3)

Click the Link for reading the full story in Hindi.  https://www.facebook.com/tumaaochahaktehue/photos/a.466256693569393.1073741829.449363775258685/493028824225513/?type=3&theater

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Please Click the link as given below for reading the full poem in English and Hindi.
पूरी कविता को हिन्दी और अंग्रेजी में पढने  के लिए नीचे दिए गए लिंक पर क्लिक करें.
type=3https://www.facebook.com/tumaaochahaktehue/photos/a.453501781511551.1073741828.449363775258685/492850600910002/?type=3

U.S.A. Ki Potali - a play (यू. एस. ए. की पोटली - एक नाटक)

Played on : 20.06.2016
Played at : Kalidas Rangalaya, Patna
(Send more information about the play to hemantdas_2001@yahoo.com)

A modest family lives in India while their son works in USA. The family members are expecting good dowry for his son though the son informs that he has got married there itself. Everybody is shocked but seeing the gifts sent by the the boy they console themselves. While they try to match up to the standards of western bridegroom and adopt western ethos and attires, the bridegroom comes to India with husband and embraces Indian culture. The message is that every culture has its own charm and nobody needs to imitate others.
The play was full of humour and the audience clapped again and again. Direction was good and the actors though having less experience, acted well. Acting of Abhimanyu (father), servant and all the ladies was up to the mark. The son and others also acted well. Dress-design was appropriate and dance of the girl with brotherly servant was also one of the attraction of the show.

Postmortem - a play by 'The Mirror' (पोस्टमार्टम -' दि मिरर' की प्रस्तुति)

A commentary on current burning issues (आज के ज्वलंत समस्याओं का भाष्य)

‘Postmortem’ was staged at Kalidas Rangalay, Patna on 16.6.2016 by the group christened as ‘The Mirror’. It was written by Rajnish Kumar and directed by debut director Satyajit Keshri. The show was a huge success in terms of acting and direction. The story is like a commentary on burning issues of nowadays. Undoubtedly, the whole narrative packed by message was stout throughout the show and necessary care was taken to keep the audience entertained by a couple of rammed dance sequences which actually worked. The concept of the character God seems to have been borrowed from the film OMG. The scene of a plump man walking with his pet dog and symbolizing the typically compromised person of today enthralled everyone in the hall. His hot debate with the Poet who is the main character of the play was thought-provoking. Light & Sound , Stage concept and backstage support were fine. A thread of fable might have added much value to the play but suggesting the same would amount to challenging the whole schema of the play. The actors acted in a natural flow notwithstanding the character they played. Each of the actors showed his mettle playing the characters given may it be of the Poet, God, Plump man or the most magical character of Dog. The Dog really behaved like a dog as expressed by his body-language and actual barking sounds. The whole team has every reason to cheers.

(हिंन्दी अनुवाद)

('पोस्टमॉर्ट्म' कालीदस रंगालय, पटना में 16.6.2016 को 'द मिरर' नामक समूह द्वारा मंचित हुआ। यह रजनीश कुमार ने लिखा है और निर्देशक के रूप में प्रथम प्रस्तुति देनेवाले सत्यजीत केशरी ने निर्देशित किया था। नाटक अभिनय और निर्देशन की कसौटी पर एक बड़ी सफलता मानी जा सकती है। कहानी आजकल के ज्वलंत मुद्दों पर एक टिप्पणी की तरह है। निस्संदेह, संदेश की प्रमुखता पूरी कहानी के निष्पादन में छाई रही किन्तु दर्शकों को के मनोरंजन को सुनिश्चित करने हेतु  नृत्य दृश्य घुसेड़े गए थे जिन्होंने सचमुच अपना काम किया। लगता है कि 'भगवान' का पात्र 'ओएमजी' फिल्म से प्रेरित था। एक मोटा आदमी अपने पालतू कुत्ते के साथ चलने का दृश्य जो आज के दौर में मूल्यों से समझौता करनेवाले व्यक्ति का प्रतीक है, सभागार में सब को खूब पसंद आया और नाटक के प्रमुख पात्र, कवि के साथ उसकी गर्म बहस विचार-उत्तेजक था। प्रकाश और च्वनि प्रबंधन, मंच परिकल्पना और नेपथ्य सहायता ठीक थे। कल्पित कथा का एक सूत्र शायद नाटक को और महत्वपूर्ण बना सकता था लेकिन ऐसा सुझाव देना इस नाटक के ढांचे को ही चुनौती देने के समान होगा। अभिनेताओं ने स्वाभाविक अभिनय किया चाहे वो किसी भी पात्र को निभा रहे हों। प्रत्येक अभिनेता ने अपनी विशिष्ट क्षमता को प्रदर्शित किया चाहे वो कवि का पात्र निभा रहे हों ईश्वर का, मोटा आदमी या सबसे जादुई पात्र कुत्ते का। कुत्ते ने वास्तव में एक कुत्ते की तरह व्यवहार किया जैसा कि उसके आंगिक अभिनय और वास्तविक भौंकने वाली ध्वनि से प्रदर्शित हुआ। पूरे नाट्य समूह को खुश होने का यहाँ हर कारण है।

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Review of play by - Hemant Das 'Him' 
Photograph - Bihari Dhamaka blog
Send your feedback to - editorbejodindia@gmail.com