‘Sakha’ is a serious attempt to find a way to end the endless suffering caused by life’s various tragedies – a human being grappling with the myriad problems that arise in human life and his constant struggle to overcome them. Instead of accepting superficial classifications of problems arising from natural human behavior, this work emphasizes the need for deep reflection and delving into their roots.
By engaging in dialogue and discussion on the thoughts, differences, and conflicts that arise within the boundaries of human relationships, Sakha attempts to create a new vision and a new definition for society. This play confronts the questions posed within relationships – where the sense of responsibility of marriage and the human qualities of friendship merge into one another. The central theme of Sakha is the attempt to create a new term for the relationship between a man and a woman. The relationship that develops by blending the qualities of marriage and friendship is the core concept and soul of Sakha.
Writer and Director
Kashyap Kamal, originally named ‘Pawan Kant Jha’, was born in 1976 in Bhatsimer village, Madhubani district, Bihar. He has been active in the field of theatre and Maithili culture for the past three decades. He has written original Maithili plays such as Gorakhdhandha, Bispipri, Sakha, Bojh, Bhot, and Vigrah, and has also acted in numerous theatrical productions. His translations of the Hindi plays ‘Araati: The Dark Side’ and ‘Kachot’ into Maithili are significant creative contributions to the field of theatre. Beyond Maithili rural theatre, he has also directed three original Maithili plays. With the aim of preserving and enhancing Mithila’s cultural heritage, he is engaged in the creation of an inventory of Mithila’s intangible cultural heritage. He is currently conducting research on intangible cultural elements such as Rasanchauki, Panji Management, Dak Bachan, Salhesh Utsav, and collective ritual songs. He is also actively working towards creating a digital archive to preserve elements related to Mithila’s folk and traditional culture. He was awarded the Mithila Gaurav Samman in 2025.
Group
The thousands of communities that make up modern India sustain the creative expression, beliefs, and values found in its deep history and pluralistic ethos. Intangible cultural heritage not only inspires individuals and societies to self-express and explore, but also serves as a social force for creative excellence. Intangible culture guides society to embrace a sense of unity, values, and excellence. Achhinjal was established to fulfill the socio-cultural responsibility of preserving, promoting, and reusing these invaluable heritages in today’s global context. Achhinjal is working to create a reference list and register of the intangible cultural heritage of the Mithila region. In this regard, work is ongoing on topics such as the folk instrument Rasanchauki, oral tradition, postal correspondence, and the register system. In the past three years, the group has given over one hundred performances of the folk instrument Rasanchauki, and several Maithili plays, including Gorakhdhandha, Haye Re Hamar Gharbali, Buddhimati Ki Bhains, Panch Patra, and Sakha, at various locations and prestigious festivals across the country. For the past seven years, Achhinjal has also been continuously organizing the National Folk Festival. The group also organizes a program called Dharohar Shrinkhea to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of Mithila.