‘Aakhri Vasant’ highlights loneliness among elderly

Lucknow: A moving social drama 'Aakhri Vasant', focusing on the emotional struggles of elderly parents abandoned by their children. was staged at Kala Mandapam on Sunday.The play was organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, in collaboration with Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya.Written and directed by Subhdeep Raha, the play portrayed the loneliness and helplessness of parents left behind and how memories of their children deepen their despair.The story follows an ageing couple, Sudheer and Geeta, trying to repair their strained relationship with their son, Randeep, who has settled in the United States and married there.Their hope for reconciliation is disrupted when a fugitive dacoit breaks into their home and forces them to give him shelter at gunpoint.A twist follows when Randeep arrives and finds the dacoit working as a household servant. When the police reach the house searching for the criminal, the couple hide him by claiming their servant has gone to the market.The play’s climax comes when Randeep reveals he is not their real son but an actor hired by an organisation that provides companionship to lonely senior citizens. The disclosure affects the dacoit, who then surrenders to the police.Anil Rastogi as Sudheer, Chitra Mohan as Geeta, Vikas Srivastava as Randeep and Sanjay Deglurkar as the dacoit drew appreciation from the audience for their performances.