Pantaloon: A play about material over meaningful pursuits

Amritsar, March 3

A team of Abhinay Theatre from Hisar presented a play, Pantaloon, at Punjab Naatshala at the ongoing Aaina theatre festival. The play was based on the theme of human desire and its unending pursuit. It used to highlight the significance that inanimate objects and material desires in people’s lives while sidelining important aspects like human bonding, emotions and family.

Directed and written by Manish Joshi, the play presents the story of protagonist Bhagwan, who comes from a rural background. He shifts to a city to find a job and eventually becomes a cobbler. A particular interaction with one of his customers, whose trousers he spoils while polishing his shoes, Bhagwan is told that trousers are a status symbol.

Hearing this, Bhagwan starts his pursuit of buying and wearing a trouser as it will elevate his status. He works hard day and night to earn money to buy a pair of trousers but always falls short. His idle pursuit makes him ask for a loan from the bank to buy a pair of trousers.

The play was a sharp comment on the material pursuits that find importance and preference over human relationships and happiness in today’s world.