Theatre Review: Laxmi Ka Swagat

The play deals with the business of love, life and relationships
Play: Laxmi Ka Swagat (Hindi)
Director: Kartikey Tripathi Duration: 60 minutes Cast: Kartikey, Sayantan, Manish, Wing Commander Deejay Kler
Upendranath Ashk was known to underscore flaws in society — its customs, its treatment of people and its unerring law and ‘order’ system. Just like his contemporaries Manto and Premchand, Ashk’s writings too were sprinkled with memories of his own experiences — the author famously belonged to the ‘write what you know’ school of literature.His masterpiece Laxmi Ka Swagat is also believed to have been influenced by some of his own experiences, and it noticeably reeks of his homeland, Jalandhar di mitti. Adapting the play on the stage recently was a group of actors —funded by a small crowd of theatre enthusiasts — who sought to rouse the conscience of those who witness injustice, but react to nothing.
For a one-hour play, the production had too many props, the arrangement and rearrangement of which offered as a steady source of distraction — especially during the crucial scenes. However, the simplistic approach in terms of sound effects was admirable. The music score by Akshay and Debayan added a note of pathos to Ashk’s rain-and-tears-soaked saga.
The mitti di khushboo, however, could not be recreated because the actors either forgot their dialogues or mother-tongue influence marred their diction.
Kartikey Tripathi, who has adapted, edited and directed the play, was clearly the one to watch out for as he portrayed the protagonist, Rajeev. Although he began on a flaky note — his expressions and gestures following his dialogues after infinitesimal pauses — he was impressive during the monologues. The only other actor who anchored the production was Wing Commander Deejay Kler who played Rajeev’s father. He shone especially bright in the scene where he gleefully announced, “Toh main Laxmi ka swagat karta hoon”, with a distinctive glint in his unremorseful eyes.
Undeniably the production begs to be refined, but we welcome the honest effort.