Powerful acts win hearts at Maharashtra drama contest

NAGPUR: The seventh day of the 57th Maharashtra State Amateur Marathi Drama Competition’s primary round, organized by state’s directorate of cultural affairs at Scientific Hall, Laxmi, Nagar, was packed with two power performances.

While the Mahabharata-based ‘Agniparva’ by Rangrasiya Theater preached Lord Krishna’s teachings,

Rangbhoomi

’s ‘Platform Number’ reflected upon realities of the urban life.

Revolving around ‘Draupadi cheer haran’, the first act of ‘Agniparva’ symbolized the discrimination and atrocities faced by the country’s women. The message was clear — though we blame God for every misfortune that befalls us, Lord Krishna would have wanted us to tackle and overcome our problems.

The play concluded with Lord Krishna carrying away the evil in a chariot, depicting that if we cannot right the wrong and forgive people, we may have to bear the load of sin forever.

Experiments like merging dialogues and dance sequences, and using body language as a narrative tool worked wonders. The actors became different characters as per the needs of the play.

Writer Dhananjay Mandaokar said, “I wanted to bring this idea to the youths, who are generally ignorant about our epics. Lord Krishna’s teachings are relevant event today.”

‘Platform Number’, which depicted stories of the homeless who live on the railway platforms, got an amazing response from the audience. The play opens at a railway station where reporter Uday (Nachiket Mhaisalkar) meets a beggar gang’s leader Rocky (Lalit Ghavghave) and

Kachra

(

Mangesh Jaiswal

), the eldest member of the gang and also a university topper.

Though the duo is hesitant at the beginning, Uday becomes Rocy and Kachra’s friend as the night progresses. He is soon sucked into their world of hardships, violence and sexual abuse. Uday falls asleep at the railway station while talking to the duo. When he wakes up, he realizes the previous night was an illusion. But a sweeper at the station tells him that the place had come alive at the night.

Writer

Gaurav Khond

said that he wanted to bring alive the stories of the nameless orphans, beggars and children whom we encounter everyday and forget.Mhaisalkar, who also directed the drama, returned to theatre nearly 12 years.

(Reporting by

Sakshi Kaithwas

)