National Theatre Festival to present a spectrum of plays from different states

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 11

Does marriage spell the end of love? Has the institution of marriage been reduced to a mere stamp of social approval or is it more than that? The play, “May be This Summer”, by Tripurai Sharma at the ongoing 12th National Theatre Festival started with some answers and ended with some questions. Presenting the realities of modern relationships and changing dynamics of the urban youth, the play was a debate on whether individual freedom and choice should be compromised for social norms and what the consequences are if one goes against the tide.

The story of a couple living together in a metropolis, respecting each other’s space and finding shared happiness without any marital status, “May Be This Summer” gradually enters into a conflict zone when the girl starts to question the ‘legality’ of their live-in relationship. “It’s a play which depicts that difference in the opinions of a man and a woman in a relationship. Both have different perspectives, the man thinks that there is no need to give a name to the relationship, which is already complete with love and space for each other while the woman, feeling the need for social and emotional security, wants them to get married,” said actor Gauri Dewal, who played the female lead in the play alongside Teekam Joshi. In the end, a beautiful relationship is eventually destroyed by the conflict of moral and social acceptance. “The couple decides to get married, but the bitterness due to the difference of opinion, eventually ends the love between them. So, the play ends with a question – What purpose does getting married solve, when the love between two people is lost?” Gauri added.

Director of the play Tripurari Sharma, professor of acting at the National School of Drama, is known for her critically acclaimed scripts like “Mirch Masala” and “Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa”. The play was presented by the Unicorn Actor Studio, Delhi, and got a huge audience applause. The 10-day theatre festival has been getting a good response in the city and has been a seat for cultural promotion. The event has become host to several acclaimed artistes and theatre directors and has staged celebrated productions like “Court Martial”, “Kama Gatu Maru”, “Tasverran” and “Ik Hor Gadar”.

The organisers, Manch Rang Manch theatre group and Kewal Dhaliwal, have been able to get the best works and artistes from the National School of Drama. “The festival has so far been able to generate a good response and people have appreciated all plays. The coming days will bring celebrated theatre persons like Usha Ganguly and Kanhaiya Lal bringing their productions,” said Dhaliwal. The Manipur-based production group Kalakshetra will present “Dak Ghar” directed by acclaimed director Kanhaiya Lal and actor Sarita Devi, who is the recipient of best theatre actor in the world. Usha Ganguly, Kolkata-based playwright and director, too, will bring in a play, “Hum Mukhtara”, a story based on a woman in Pakistan , who was raped by the order of the panchayat of her village. “Dak Ghar” will present a narrative style of dancing and body movements, a specialty of Manipuri theatre and will be a different experience while “Hum Mukhtara” will present a different topic to the audience.