Rescuing the despicable

SD Sharma

Chandigarh, April 26

The Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi staged playwright Vijay Tendulkar’s most acclaimed and controversial play “Sakharam Binder” under the direction of Umesh Kant at Tagore Theatre here today.

The play, a psychoanalytical study of four lead characters with absolute contrasting traits and behavior, kept the audience engrossed. While the protagonist, Sakharam, a binder in a press, is a short tempered, arrogant and highly assertive person, he has no remorse in treating the women like slaves. Having no respect for societal traditions, Sakharam brings home the discarded and castaway wives of other men.

He provides food, clothing and shelter but in exchange treats them as his slaves.

Eighth wife Lakshmi is an epitome of innocence and sincerity, who attempted to transform Sakharam but gets thrown out of the house.

This paved the way for the entry of a socially despised bold woman Champa, who only yielded to Sakharam’s lust when drunk but he becomes sincere towards her. Later, finding Champa in an illicit relationship with Sakharam’s friend Miyan Daud, he kills him. However, discarded Champa comes to his rescue. The crisp storyline, superb acting spell and direction kept the audience engaged. Pardeep Singh (Sakharam), Neha Preet (Lakshmi) Malvika Bhaskar (Champa), Surinder Pal (Daud) and Gursewak Singh (Havaldar Shindey) acted to the perfection.