Bhopal Plays – 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2023

BAYAN

Writer : Mahashweta Devi
Director : Usha Ganguly
Group : Repertory Company, National School of Drama, New Delhi
Language : Hindi

Play

Based on a story by Mahashweta Devi, Bayan is that play which creates awareness about the core expression of her writing, i.e socio-economic disparities and the different shades of human life. Those living at the lower stratas of society, the Doms living in the darkness of crematoriums, the Bagdis, Dusaadhs, the Manjhis living on the banks of the river Ganju, and the tribal Santhals living in thick forest, remain deprived of the most basic human rights. Bayan’s Chandi Dansi is one who, at a very young age, is thrown into the work of burying dead animals. She is forced to live a life of great hardship. In time she decides to tie the knot with Malinder. However, the same Malinder later declares her to be a ‘hayan’ and Chandi Daasi loses all her rights to live a decent life. She starts believing that her life of inhuman exile is simply the norm.

Finally, her son Bhagirath emerges as the symbol or representative of change in the young generation and is able to ignite the spark of self-respect and dignity.

Director’s Note

In my creative journey in field of theatre, alongwith the works of Rabindranath, Manto, Kabir and Premchand, the works of Mahashweta Devi have also struck me with a strange sharpness and intellectual perceptiveness that moves alongside their human aspects. Even before Rudali or Ganesh mahima, Bayan’s Chandi Daasi had made a place for herself in my memory. For the past many years, the prop-less stage has appealed to me and attracted me for many reasons. I believe that minimalism on the stage might be able to help in the search for a new theatre vocabulary as drawn from the power of the actor’s body language, the internally developed characterization the symbolic imagery on stage, and the sounds of music- and this is what I kept trying for. I am grateful for the writing that gave me a ground filled with social concem as well as with a deep loathing for oppressive and superstitious systems; and I am also filled with much affectionate gratitude for all those fellow theatre artists who have been my companions and fellow travellers in this journey of brining this simple creation to life both on the stage as well as behind it, and from even further beyond that.

Director

Usha Ganguly is a renowned theatre activist who is devoted to theatre and whose works are enriched by her scholarly and literary sense and sensibilities. This has been consistently evident in her presentations through Lok Katha, Mahabhoj Holi Court Martial. Rudali, Kasinama, Mukti Chandalika, Manasiand Hum Mukhtara, amongst many others. She directed a play for a Pakistan theatre group called Ajoka Theatre under their two-year long Theatre for Peace project. She has directed three short plays based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s women characters named Naam Gotrohin (nameless, casteless Manto’s women) for the theatre group Nagorik Natya Shampraday in Dhaka, Bangladesh; and has also scripted for Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat, Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s She, Sandip Ray’s Target, Kalpana Lajmi’s Lohit Kinare and Mrinal Sen’s Kabhi Dur Kabhi Pass.

She has received numerous awards and felicitations including Best Production and Best Director Award (1993-’94) by All India Critic Association and Paschim Banga Natya Academy for Rudali, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1998) and several others.

At present, apart from being the Director and President of Rangakarmee, Usha Ganguly is a revered member of SWAN (South Asia Women’s Network) a wing of SAARC. She is also currently the Scholar-in-Residence at the Viswa Bharati University.

Writer

Mahasweta Devi (14 January 1926 – 28 July 2016) was an Indian Bengali fiction writer and social activist. Her notable literary works include Hajar Churashir Maa, Rudali, and Aranyer Adhikar. Mahashweta Devi wrote over 100 novels and over 20 collections of short stories. Her first novel, titled Jhansir Rani, is based on a biography of Laxmibai, the queen of Jhansi.

In 1964, she began teaching at Bijoygarh College (an affiliated college: of the University of Calcutta while also working as a journalist and a creative writer. In her elaborate Bengali fiction, she often depicted the brutal oppression of tribal peoples and the untouchables by potent, authoritarian upper-caste landlords, lenders, and venal government officials.

She was honoured with various literary awards such as the Sahitya Akademi Award, Jnanpith Award, Ramon Magsaysay Award along with India’s civilian awards Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan.

Group

National School of Drama Repertory was formed in 1964-65 on an experimental basis by Shri B. Alkazi. In the beginning it consisted of only four actors and later expanded into a larger group of actors, mustolans and technicians, mainly drawn from graduates of the National School of Drama, Delhi. In 1964 Late Shri Om Shivpuri led the Company and in 1977, Late Shri Manohar Singh became the first regular Chief of Repertory.

Over the years, Repertory has produced a variety of plays ranging from stylized musical to realistic and contemporary adaptation of foreign and Indian plays. In addition, several eminent directors of national and International repute from within the country and abroad have worked with the Company.

The Repertory has performed over 183 plays by 95 playwrights and has worked with 92 directors. The Repertory tours extensively all over the Country and has made several successful trips to Germany, Poland, UK, Nepal, Mauritius, Bangladesh and China.

by admin February 10, 2023

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RAKTAKTO JHAROKHA

Writter : Yasmine Beverly Rana
Adaptation : Ujjwal Chattopadhyay
Director : Santanu Das
Group : Kalyani Kalamandalam, Kalyani (W.B.)
Language : Bengali
Duration : 80 Mns

Play

At Sarajevo in 1994, in a bedroom brimming with bullet holes, Dahlia and Peter have a whirlwind romance. A famous writer reporting on the Bosnian war, Peter leaves Dahlia to return to his wife. At Kabul in 2001, in a bedroom with blacked-out windows, an Afghan prostitute is having affair with a member of the Taliban religious police. Dahlia met Ash at Kabul in 2005 to know about the story of Laila and Ash. Dahlia’s book about Laila, Ash and the aftermath of their affair at Kabul makes her a famous writer in her own right. On her book tour, struggling with how we all profit from telling stories of war from a safe distance, Dahlia and Peter meet again. Is everything sellable items in this world? Is your love, sorrow, hate, pain everything sellable?

Director’s Note

2021: Once again the memory of the Afghan war comes into your mind; rather a fundamental imbalance of the geopolitical power scenario comes in front of you. All of you watched it from a safe distance through television, newspaper or books, and make comments and arguments on digital media. We have never suffered from this kind of situation. It is really difficult to understand how people can enjoy sex in a war; how people are ready to sell their stories for money or fame? In this play, when a character says, “We come as a package deal. You get the shelling and sex—I think it’s a fabulous deal.” ‘Deal’, ‘contract’, ‘agreement’—these are the very important words in our life nowadays. This new economy taught us that whatever sellable is sustainable. If you don’t have anything to sell, it means you are dead. Therefore, we all ready to sell our pain, sorrow, love, everything for the sake of economic development; no human connections exist among us.

So, let’s enjoy war, love and sex from a safe distance.

Director

Dr. Santanu Das is one of those modern theatre practitioners who have been trying to find out a new theatrical language as much as possible. He has obtained PG Diploma in Dramatics from National School of Drama, New Delhi. He started his career as Director & Designer in 1990 with the play Atha Dar Pal Katha. Later he Designed and Directed Power of Darkness, Ebom Indrajit, Manushi, Ghare Baire, and many more with Kalyani Kalamandalam. In 2015 he jointly directed a production named ‘Crossing’ with Aude Marehsal, at Mondvil, France.He was associated with Bansi Kaul as Designer in South Asian Music Festival, Adult Education Festival, Republic Day Festival, National Games, Festival of India in Bhutan and many more. He has presented papers on various subjects in Rhodes University, South Africa, Helsingor, Denmark and Prague, Czech Republic. His production Macbeth Mirror was invited to perform in the different countries like Vietnam, Israel, Czech Republic, Poland and Nepal. He got Silver Medal for Direction at 4^th International Experimental Theatre Festival – 2019, Hanoi, Vietnam. Presently he is working at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata as Associate Professor & HOD in the Department of Drama.

Playwright (Original English Text)

Yasmine Beverly Rana’s recent work has been produced by Ryan Repertory Company (Icarus and Amina), Jerusalem’s Theater in the Rough and JET (Paradise, The Fallen, After Rome) as well as Women’s Work Festival of Newfoundland, Canada (Icarus and Amina). Plays have been developed and presented at theaters including The Looking Glass Theatre (NY), The Jewel Box Theater (Los Angeles), La MaMa Experimental Theatre, and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, Tara Arts of London, India’s National School of Drama, Great Barringston’s New Stages, among others. Fellowships and grants include a NJ State Council on the Arts TRANSITional Art Project, New Jersey State Council on the Arts Award in Playwriting, and a Walter E. Dakin Fellowship. The War Zone is My Bed was a Francesca Primus Prize finalist. The University of Chicago Press and Seagull Books “In Performance Series” anthologized four of Yasmine’s plays in The War Zone is My Bed and Other Plays.

Playwright (Bengali Text)

An M.A and M.PHIL in Economics from Calcutta University, Ujjwal Chattopadhyay started his literary days with poetry and then to plays since his college time. Till date he has written adapted and translated a lot of original plays. All the major directors of BENGAL like Kausik Sen, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Meghnadh Bhattacharjee, Usha Ganguli, Falguni Chattopadhyay, Biplab Bandhopadhyay and others have staged his plays. His works are both popular and sensitive. He delivers lectures on different academic and literary issues at different forums, and institutions. He has to his credit Seven books and a lot of articles published in eminent magazines. Presently he is working as Associate Professor of Economics under WEST BENGAL EDUCATION SERVICE at Maulana Azad College, Kolkata.

Group

Kalyani Kalamandalam (KK), was established on 9 June 1995 by a group of energetic and creative-minded young fellows who had been exploring new directions in performance. Our aim is to create a new theatrical language in Indian theatre. The group has spread its activities in various ways such as drama, theatre workshops and children theatre. It tries to use nontheatrical art forms in theatre. In the last 26 years, the group has produced more than 15 major productions which include Evam Indrajit, Romeo Jeannette, Manu(sh)shi, Oedipus Tyrannus, Macbeth Mirror itc. Group’s latest production is Raktakto Jharokha directed by Santanu Das. The group has performed in various countries like France, Poland, Czech Republic, Israel, Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh. The group actively organizes theatre festivals & workshops, and is involved in publishing books & magazines, and performing children’s theatre throughout the year.

by admin February 10, 2023

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MACBETH

Playwright : William Shakespeare
Director : DR. Tarun Kumar Pradhan
Group : Sarabhuj, Midnapur, W.B.
Language : Bengali
Duration : 90 Mtns.

Play

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death. through this play Shakespeare tries to show the crisis of the society, the dramatic question in this play is basically our crisis in the society. so this play is still relevant after few centuries. its not only the inner crisis or devilish approach of a single person, its a crisis of the power dame and its crime in our society happening all the time. the political condition have changed a lot but the power game and the approach or crisis remain the same in our society. so for this reason Macbeth is still now relevant in this age of time.

Director’s Note

From the directorial point of view, it is a wise desicicion to devote myself to design and produce a play from the world’s best playwright. From past few centuries the design and sceneograpy of the theatre changed a lot . It gives a new birth in theatre, working in the powerful play of William Shakespeare. It does not break the dignity of the play, because Macbeth is poetry and also a play. When poetry designed into a play the perspective and the philosophy changes a lot. In our play the names and the philosophy of the play remains same but it was adapted in Indian context. It may be an inner voice of any large human population or may be a story of poor marginal people. It is an experimental journey to design and choreograph a foreign play through folk art and folk language of India. Nowadays the original crisis of the society is the abuse of power which leads to crime, this system has been happening all the time all over the countries throughout the ages. Our production leads a question to our society about this crisis in our society. Macbeth is not only a name of a character it’s a power, it’s an institutionor organization, on other side it is also a disease, a sickness. its a try to reach the traditional form of Indian theatre through the folk art and the modern approach of theatre .

Director

Born an 19 April 1962 DR. Tarun Kumar Pradhan completed his M.A., Ph.D. (Drama) and is serving, at present, as Assistant Professor, department of Drama, Rabindra Bharati University.

He directed the play ‘Fagun Rater Gappo’, performed at the International Drama Festival, Bharat Rang Mahotsv, organized by the National School of Drama- 2016. Was invited to conduct the Pantomime workshop in Anjali International Children’s Festival 2016. Worked as an Instructor for theatre production of Minerva- Govt. of West Bengal, and as expert trainer (Baranagar Lokoangik) Silchar, Assam- 2016, and did Drama Choreography work for National School of Drama, New Delhi- 2017. He published article ‘Paik Nritya’ in journal of Sruti Govt. of West Bengal, and attended the International Seminar on Folklor, in the Digital Era- 2017

Translator

Born on 16 September 1991 and an M.A. (Drama) with specialization in Production designing from Rabindra Bharati University 2015, Shovan Chakraborty the production designer with the Jojok group, is a multifaceted personality working both with theatre and cinema. An active member of JOJOK theatre group for last 9 years under the supervision of eminent theatre and film personality Dulal Lahiri in several production like Dadathakur, Antardhan, Abishkar, Firing kobiyal, Nashtoneer and more. He worked with other theatre groups in different productions as an actor including Lokkrishti, Sandharba, Howrah jonaki, Kolkata rangeela, kalyani kalamandalam and more… worked as an contractual artiste in Rabindra Bharati Theatre repertoire… and at present is working as a documentary film maker and associate director with few film projects.. also as an actor in few films.

Playwright

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon” (or simply “the Bard”). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. He remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.

Group

Sarabhuj – A socio cultural institution from Rangamati, Midnapore (West Bengal), has been playing an intrinsic part of the movement for the revival, propagation and appreciation of traditional Folk Culture since, 1986, under the able guidance of Sri Tamn Pradhan.

The organisation is able to function meaningfully by adhering to the value and ideas of Indian Art aesthetics and deriving its strength and inspiration from the warmth and fragrance of the earth. Sarabhuj has preserved to upload the true essence of Indian Culture – Dance, Theatre and Mine.

Not limiting itself to on-stage performance, Sarabhuj involves itself in many social-welfare programmes. Plays worthy role in social awareness of traditonal Culture through workshops, seminars, traning fairs, live demonstrations and documentation of all the above.

Sarabhuj has performed in many National and International theatre Festivals and has represented India in many foreign countries.

The major, much aplauded theatre production of Sarabhuj are – Pathbhogta, Amra Sabai Raja, Saju Rupai Kathakatha, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream (NSD Collaboration), Megh Balika, Aranya Purush (Story from Mahasweta Devi).

by admin February 10, 2023

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Hansuli

Director-Adapter : Rajkumar Shah
Playwright : Dr. Akhilesh Chandra
Group : Samoohann Kala Sansthan, Azamgarh
Language : Hindi
Duration : 75 Mns.

Play

The play “Hansuli” shows the coloring of materialism on the social and family relations, due to which the mutual relations in the family are being torn apart today. Hansuli is not just an ornament but also an indicator of the power of the family. That’s why Maya wants to grab it any cast, from her mother-in-law, because it is a symbol of family tradition, respect and rituals. Maya is desperate to preserve the same family legacy. But the next generation is not so sensitive and emotional that it could live the rituals of its forefathers, even if the respect of the house gets shattered in the panchayat, but she becomes determined to break Hansuli into two pieces.

Instead of maintaining bonding, in front of personal interest, the relationships remain full of pretense. In its narrative, the drama simply exposes the decline of values in Indian families due to materialism.

Director’s Note

The play “Hansuli” highlights the importance of values in Indian families. The stories by the grandparents in the olden days are farfetched today. These stories, listened to, while sitting with the family, used to be such a soap which used to keep our mind clean and clear, by teaching us the lesson of love and goodness. But today we are getting uprooted from our roots and also devoid of feelings towards the family. Parents are also not given importance before the demand of share in the property, and personal interest. Then, not only the heart of the house and court yard, but also the mutual bonding of the family get outworn into pieces.

Strongly underlining the insensitivity of losing the enculturation and values in our families, this play cautions us against the consequences of being uprooted from our roots along with the interesting style of traditional folk music and storytelling, and returning to our own roots, it explains the value of relationships. Based on the story of Dr. Akhilesh Chandra, the play “Hansuli” is not just a play, it is a song of Indian soil.

Director/Translator

Rajkumar Shah filled the void of amateur theater in Azamgarh before 1980 and of about 15 years latter, after 1993 and established theater in the district. He Received National Scholarship by the Ministry of Culture in 1999, and in 2005 nominated as member of U.P. Sangeet Natak Akademi Parishad. Completed Master’s degree in Dramatic Arts from Allahabad University. Enriched the theater with his productions “Ashadh Ka Ek Din”, “Ujda Hua Mahavidyalaya”, “Ek Sach Ka Maunabhinay”, “Ahilya Aaj Ki”, “Ajab-Gazab Insaaf Ihaan Kai”, “Maunabhinay-Zidgi ke kuchh Pannon Se”, “Vidaai”, “Sun Lo Swar Paashan Shila Ke”, and “Hansuli”.

Apart from participating in many national theater festivals, he was honored by Hindi Sahitya Parishad in 2018, and received award for his short film “Antargatha” from the Chandigarh University, in Chandigarh Music and Film Festival. Through this intensive theatre movement in Azamgarh, Varanasi, Allahabad, Mau and Jaunpur, the group contributed to the expansion, prestige and prosperity of theater in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Group

Formed in the year 1996 and registered in 1997, “Samoohan Kala Sansthan”, a group of young artistes and art-lovers came together for stage productions, which by amalgamation of different forms of theater and art, by following cultural revival, artistic advancement and Indian cultural heritage, is continuously involved in the sacred mission of development and innovation of modern and folk traditional stage genres.

The repertory of Samoohan Kala Sansthan has succeeded in establishing theater in the region and making it popular among the masses through its productions “Karo Singhasan Khali- Ab Janata Aati Hai”, “Ashadh Ka Ek Din”, “Ujda Hua Mahavidyalaya”, “Ek Sach Ka Maunabhinay”, “Ahilya Aaj Ki”, “Ajab-Gajab Insaaf Ihan Kain”, “Maunabhinay-Zindagi Ke Kuch Pannon Se”, “Vidaai”, “Hansuli”. The sequence continues uninterruptedly.

by admin February 10, 2023

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FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Director : Muskan Goswami and Yogendra Singh
Playwright : Yogendra Singh
Group : Muskan Theatre Lab
Language : Hindi
Duration : 80 Mns.

Play

The play presents the life journey of a girl named “Dhara”, who since her childhood faced social obligations, orthodox customs and conservative views and how she creates her own identity. Whatever may be the society, religion or age, status of women somehow stays the same. The play germinated with the question what is freedom for a girl in today’s time?

The drama also refers to the true story of a woman named “SisaAbu” who worked as a man for 42yrs to feed her child and later, was acknowledged as “Best mother” in Egypt. The play touches the sensitive issues like rape, women exploitation, child marriage, acid attack, female feticide, dowry, sexual harassment, honor killing, caste practice but in presentation of the drama, we abstain from showing torture or suffering but,using a lighter way with form of Clowning, Mime, Commediadell’arte, Nautanki, Yakshagana, Bollywood, Puppetry Drag king etc.

Director’s Note

The play “Freedom of Choice” is inspired by “Urmil Kumar Thapliyal’s –Aranya Rodan” which has been rewritten and devised in a contemporary way with real life incidents / stories from around. About the presentation, our protagonist is not a victim but a fighter, a survivor for us. Somehow, the seeking of an identity or freedom of the protagonist becomes the seeking of every human being. It’s an attempt that play should not become the story of a particular girl or gender but every girl / gender of every age can connect to the play some way or the other. Every scene has some history, pain, message which is reaching indirectly to the audience through some “entertainment”. So, we found the way to reach audience and raise questions from them. Play is constantly growing with every moment, as something is constantly happening against the women, which we try to include in performance as well.

Director

Muskan Goswami is MPSD, Bhopal, alumna (2013), having more than 14 years of experience in Theatre Acting & Direction. She has been awarded with the Junior Research Fellowship by the ministry of Culture Govt. of India and has written a book Vilupt Vidushak ki Adhunik Rangmanch main Khoj. She has worked with NSD-Theatre-In-Education. She has been awarded with Global India National Stardom Award, in the field of Theatre Direction & Social Work. She has conducted many workshops for Juvenile/Special/Orphan/Slum & unprivileged children, rescued girls & children of sex workers in various states. She is founder of Muskan Theatre Lab, Mumbai. She has been awarded with 5 tour showsin Northeast India Projectwise by NSD-Delhi. She isvisiting faculty in Rashtriya Military School, Uttpal Sanghvi School, IIT Powai, INS Hamla, Rescue Foundation and many more places. She has been mentioned as the promising female theatre-director in Dr. Vashudha Sahastrabuddhey’s book Hindi Rangmanch me Mahilao Ka Yogdaan commissioned by Maharashtra State Hindi Academy.

Playwright

Yogendra born in New Delhi, is an alumnus of National School of Drama, with specialization in Acting, 2014.He is the founder and Secretary of “Muskan Theatre Lab, Mumbai and has more than 16 years of theatre experience. He works as an acting coach and visiting faculty in various reputed acting institutes, schools, colleges in Mumbai and worked in different places across India in the capacity of an actor, director, performance maker.

In the year 2014, for the further specialization in Acting he was awarded with Fellowship under Ministry of Culture and NSD under the research topic -”The Clown Within Me” and practicing clowning since then. He is also working for Clown without Borders, Sweden, with Rupesh Tillu, where he performed for underprivileged children, special children, children of sex workers, cancer patients, juvenile schools, rescue shelter homes etc. He has written and directed plays like “Let’s find Dojomojo” “The Clown’s Hat” “Acalubalaca” “Bina das”, now “Freedom of choice” and many more.

Group

‘Muskan Theatre Lab’ is headed by Theatre Director/Actor,MPSD alumna Muskan Goswami and NSD Alumnus Yogendra Singh and its members are trained actors and designers from National School of Drama, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune), Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, (Bhopal), Bhartendu Natya Academy (Lucknow) and other reputed institutions and groups, with the objective of building awareness of the social responsibility, by addressing the sensitive issues of the society. Most of its productions are self- designed and devised.

Group is actively working for children by making clown performances for children in schools, cancer hospitals, juvenile schools, red light areas, special need shelters, orphanage and slums. Group members have also worked with “Clown without borders, Sweden” in India, where they travelled with team to perform for under privileged children. Group works for rescue shelter home in Kandivali Mumbai, Kashmiri refugees in Kashmir and also for UNICEF It organizes theater workshops and also conducts productions-oriented theatre workshops in various schools, colleges and universities across India.

by admin February 10, 2023

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BOODHI KAAKI

Director : Atul Yadvanshi
Writer : Munshi Premchand
Adoptation : Rajkumar Srivastava
Group : Swarg Repertory, Prayagraj
Language : Hindi
Duration : 60 Mns.

Boodhi Kaaki orbits around an old woman, Kaaki, who is at the fag end of her life and has yearning for delicious foods. Her husband died long ago. She has bequeathed her all to her nephew Buddhiram. Today is Tilak Ceremony of Buddhiram’s son. The cooks are preparing food for the gathering in one corner. As guests start eating, Kaki reaches there in hope of of food. Budhiram takes her away from there and stricts her to her dark room. The wife of Budhiram is fast asleep but Laadli is unable to sleep knowing her Kaaki is hungry. She comes to her Kaaki sotto voc to give her share of food to the helpless old woman. Kaaki is not satiated with what Laadli gets for her and forages for the leftover nibbles on discarded plates. Chiming the inner strings , the story is extremely poignant one, which along with Budhram and Rupa, teaches us too, respect our elders.

Director’s Note

At a time when it’s common for kids to get entertained by dazzling wizards, Japanese anime and teenaged-pop idols, Munshi Premchand’s short story Boodhi Kaaki might seem a wee bit out of place. The thought of being helpless at the fag end of life sends shivers in the spine. Keeping in mind the ‘Nautanki’s Future & Future’s Nautanki’ by adapting Premchand’s stories in Nautanki we have given this form a new direction. Expression oriented singing of Nautanki verses, Acting and Scenes will take you to the Premchand’s era. I hope this presentation will make you realize the power of Nautanki.

Director

Atul Yaduvanshi started performing in Nautanki very early during his school days. under the able guidance of Eminent Nautanki Artist & Director Shri. Shanti Swaroop Pradhan. After attending a workshop of Shri Braj Vallabh Mishra on Natya Shashtra in 1988 he started a serious journey on Nautanki’s trends and traditions. He took indepth training of Nautanki from Legend of Hathrasi Guru Shri. Munna Master (Bulandshehar) and Smt. Nanda Devi (Pilibhit). For almost more than last two decades he has strengthened Nautanki by incorporating new stories and plays of Kalidasa, Bhartendu, Munshi Premchand and other Folk Tales very effectively in Nautanki form. The Highlights of his achievement and contributions is that the sweetness and innocence of Nautanki has been re-established in his productions. He has organized many Seminars and Workshops involving of almost all the living legends of Nautanki in recent years.

Playwright

Rajkumar Srivastava started his folk art journey with the ‘Yuvvani’ program of All India Radio. After receiving training in the preparation of theatrical drama from Pt. Giriraj Prasad of Vrindavan Cama and Pt. Hukumchandra Varshney of Chhata-Mathura’ and new techniques of modern theater from Natyacharya Shri Mudrarakshas ji, he gave new life and new identity to Nautanki by dramatization of the famous works of eminent Indian writers such as Kalidas, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Munshi Premchand, Phanishwar Nath Renu etc. Presently he is trying to re-establish the almost dead folk drama ‘Karinga’ taking the form and the characters, instruments, make-up, costumes and presentation of this folk drama, as the basis. A respected member of U.P. Sangeet Natak Samiti and Department of Culture, Government of India’s Performing Folk Art Committee, Mr. Srivastava has been honored with the National Award in 2007. Vikramshila Hindi Vidyapeeth, Bihar has honored him with the honorary title of “Vidya Vachaspati”.

Group

Swarg Repertory’ is an International Repute Cultural offshoot of an organization ‘SWARG’ dedicated to the cause of reviving and re-establishing the lost glory of Indian Traditional Folk Drama ‘Nautanki’. ‘Swarg Repertory’ has presented programmes at all the major Festivals of Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Goa, Chandigarh etc. ‘Swarg Repertory’ has also presented Nautanki abroad at ‘World Theater Festival-2004’ at Lahore. ‘Swarg Repertory’ has also the honour of presenting Nautanki at the reputed ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’ in the year 2002 & 2005. ‘Swarg Repertory’ has adapted the stories & plays of Eminent writers like Kalidasa, Bhartendu Harishchandra, Munshi Premchand etc. Keeping the format & style of Nautanki intact. The specialty lies in the acting and singing in accordance with the mood of the characters as well as the time & space of the drama.

by admin February 10, 2023