Bareilly’s theatre buffs laud a play on modern-age struggles

Bareilly’s theatre buffs gathered together to attend city’s theatre group – Rang Vinayak Rang Mandal’s play – 'Reunion,' at Windermere Theatre recently. This one-act play written by John Taylor and directed by Bareilly-based director Raees Khan was based against the backdrop of World War II.
The play kicked off with the set-up of a hotel bar, where three ex-army men, who fought in World War II, are seen celebrating their reunion, celebrating life, as they survived even ten years after the war.The play portrayed how these three comrades got the chance to live and parted with a promise to meet after ten years and lead an ideal life and work for the welfare of the world and mankind. But then they got engrossed in the rat race and forgot about their goals and led a life full of lies, prejudice and luxury. The play took an interesting turn when the fourth comrade, whom they presumed to be dead appeared on stage and opened their eyes.
Pankay and Arvind in a shot from the play
An interesting aspect of the play was that a few of the characters were performed by city’s working professionals who had been taking theatre lessons to bring out their creative side and break the monotony of hectic working life. Abhijeet, an audience member, said, “It was quite an engaging play that showcased how a man turns selfish. I believe that’s the crux of the story, as in today’s time, people have become materialistic – they keep their promises and values aside for their personal gains, and all this was wonderfully portrayed on stage.” Mughdha, another theatre buff, said, “It was a treat to watch a blend of everything – heroism, sacrifice, survival and selfishness. It was sort of a lesson for all of us. It was a treat to watch some new faces performing, which added freshness to the play.”
Bareilly DM Virender Kumar Singh (left) and Dr Brijeswer Singh
Garima Singh (left) and Shalini