“Gudia Ki Shadi” is the story of a lower-middle-class family in a Bundelkhandi town where the daughter, Gudiya, becomes an object of neglect due to her appearance. She faces taunts everywhere, both at home and outside, but her sub efficiently positive outlook prevents the negativity from affecting her. She wants to enjoy life with ease even in adverse circumstances. Her complexion may be dark, but her heart is pure. With great difficulty the auspicious occasion of Gudiya’s wedding finally arrives, but the day before the wedding, something unexpected happens to Gudiya that makes her appear even more unattractive, creating a problem for the entire family. In such a serious situation, Gudiya’s sister-in-law, who herself carries the stigma of having run away to Mumbai, steps in to handle the situation. Anyone who comes into contact with Gudiya in these circumstances, finds their own frustrations and inner pain revealed. Gudiya’s innocent and simple words reflect a philosophy of life that shows the way to live life in a simple and easy manner, rather than making it complicated and burdensome.
Director
He spent is life from birth to youth in the village of Mavai, Tikamgarh district, Bundelkhand, where he developed a deep interest in folk arts and theatre from a young age. During his higher education at Dr. Hari Singh Gour University, he formally began his journey in theatre. Following this, he received intensive theatre training in Bhopal under the guidance of Mr. Alok Chatterjee and the late Padma Shri Bansi Kaul. In 1997, he was selected for the National School of Drama and, after completing his training there, worked as a theatre trainer in various states across the country for approximately twelve years under the NSD’s extension program. During this period with many renowned theatre directors whil working time, he acted in approximately 70 plays and directed more than 30 plays with many renowned theatre directors, including Har Har Hardaul, Dastan-e-Danapur, Sursi ka Lal, Hori, and Bhor Taraiya. He established the Pahuna Theatre Group in Tikamgarh district and has played an active role dedicated to theatre for nearly two decades, while also working for the preservation and promotion of Bundeli folk art and providing free training and a platform to local talents. Along with theatre, he has also been active in Hindi cinema and OTT platforms, acting in films like Swaraj, Pinjar, Talwar, and Sonchiraiya, and web series like Made in Heaven, Trial by Fire, and Sandeep Bhaiya. He also has a special interest in poetry, short story writing, and playwriting. Currently, he is working as the Director at the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, Bhopal.
Director’s Note
A deep satisfaction has been expressed regarding the selection of the Bundelkhand region for the new student theatre production of the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, as this region, despite being extremely rich in art and culture, is on the verge of losing its regional folk heritage amidst the dazzle of modernity. In today’s age of technical entertainment means, theatre is a powerful medium that can play a significant role in the preservation and promotion of folk cultural heritage. With this objective, before the preparation of the theatre production, the students were taken to Sagar for a traveling folk theatre workshop, where they were given theoretical and practical training in various aspects of Bundeli folk culture and diverse forms of folk arts. During this time, the students tried to understand the regional life, folk traditions, customs, dialect, beliefs, and social norms up close. Subsequently, selected elements of Bundeli folk culture were incorporated into the play ‘Gudiya ki Shaadi’ (Gudiya’s Wedding) to create a Bundeli theatre production, as per the requirements of the play. Through this play, written by the renowned actress and writer Samta Sagar, the Bundeli marriage rituals and endangered folk music have been prominently presented. The purpose behind this produdi on is twofold: firstly, to highlight the suffering of daughters in society who are neglected due to their appearance or physical disabilities, and secondly, to convey the essence of the Bundeli dialect, folk music, and the authentic flavor of everyday life to the audience.
Group
The Madhya Pradesh School of Drama offers a two-year postgraduate diploma course to trainees, committed to pursuing theatre as a profession. The school’s primary objective is to provide systematic teaching and training in traditional, classical, and modern theatre, practice cutting-edge performance techniques, stage management, museum and library work, and foster the holistic development of students through exposure to leading theatre luminaries. The institution is envisioned as a theatre school located in the heartland of India, meeting national standards. A limited number of students are selected based on national criteria and taught by the country’s best theatre gurus. The school also aims to establish theatre as a skill development and enterprise, emphasizing comprehensive theoretical knowledge along with practical skills. To this end, the Theatre Lab was established in October 2023, aiming to expand students’ education through research, stage experiments, scripting, stage design, and direction. In this lab, 15 selected students from the school are trained in various theatrical styles and prepare plays, guided by the country’s leading theatre gurus. To date, plays such as Adi Vikramaditya, Viplap Yagyemantam, Rizk Ki Maryada, Punashcha Krishna, and Wrong Turn have been produced, and have been performed at prestigious venues such as the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Delhi, and the Jan Yoddha Theatre Festival. The aim of the theatre lab is to enable students to develop theatre in their city, district, or village, and to bring national and international recognition to theatre through research and professional perspectives.