Kanak Ki Bali revolves around Taro, an orphaned girl whose life is shaped by suppression, greed, and social injustice. Living with her greedy, alcoholic uncle and manipulative aunt Taba, Taro finds hope in her love for Bachna, a humble bangle seller. However, driven by selfish motives and money, Taba marries Taro off to Maghar, a deceitful, alcoholic man over fifty who has already been married multiple times. Maghar’s current wife, Thakri, fears his remarriage due to her inability to conceive, and her fears come true when he forcibly marries Taro. Unhappy and desperate, Taro escapes to Bachna’s home, but his mother Nihali, burdened by her own painful past of betrayal, resists their union. When Maghar tracks Taro down, a violent confrontation ensues, resulting in Bachna’s death and the crushing of Taro’s only hope. The play portrays a society hostile to love, where greed and addiction overpower humanity. In the end, Nihali accepts Taro as her daughter, and together they kill Maghar, symbolizing female solidarity and resistance against patriarchal oppression.

Director:

Gurpreet Singh has established himself as a creative and committed cultural practitioner known for his significant contribution to Punjabi theatre. He has directed four critically acclaimed Punjabi plays—Sat Begane, Aag De Kaleere, Salwan, and Kanak Di Bali. His versatility extends to both lead and supporting roles in Punjabi and other regional theatre productions. Gurpreet has been honoured by Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal Khattar for his outstanding contributions to theatre. Skilled in script analysis, stage management, production coordination, and team leadership, he remains committed to promoting Punjabi cultural storytelling and enriching contemporary theatre practices.

Director’s Note

Balwant Gargi’s play Kanak Di Bali (The Sacrifice of Wheat) is a landmark in Punjabi theatre that deeply portrays the soul of rural Punjab. Rooted in agrarian life, the play reflects a time when land was not merely livelihood but identity, faith, and tradition. Farmers revere wheat as Mother Earth, yet paradoxically shed human blood in its name, revealing the tension between devotion and violence. The narrative exposes economic exploitation, rigid religious customs, superstition, gender oppression, and the inequalities embedded in the agricultural system. As a directorial vision, staging this play becomes an exploration of pressing social questions that remain relevant today. Through simple stage design, folk-inspired music, and earthy language, the production seeks to preserve the rustic essence of Gargi’s writing while presenting the vibrancy of village culture. Though set in the past, the play resonates strongly with contemporary Punjab, where farmer suicides, falling land values, and agricultural crises persist.

Group:

Theatre For Theatre (TFT) is a socially committed theatre group founded in 1988 by Sudesh Sharma during the new theatre movement and formally registered in 1999 under the Society Act. Since its inception, the group has produced over 70 acclaimed plays such as Court Martial, Tamas, Ashad Ka Ek Din, and Kanak Di Bali, earning recognition across India. TFT has also made history by organizing the 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, and 19th TFT Winter National Theatre Festivals (2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024), recognized as Asia’s longest month-long theatre festival. The festival features 30 plays from various states, director interactions, masterclasses, workshops, exhibitions, competitions, and social initiatives like tree plantation, reinforcing TFT’s mission to transform society through theatre.