Haryanavi saang ‘Narsi ka Bhaat’ enthrals audience

SD Sharma

Chandigarh, June 19

The large Sunday crowd of folklore lovers relished the slice of their traditional musical culture on the seventh day of the 10th edition of the ongoing Haryanavi Folk Theatre Festival with the immaculate staging of yet another saang ‘Narsi ka Bhaat’ at Tagore Theatre here today.

Their ardent love for saang found an eminent testimony as the large audience kept sitting despite the failure of air-conditioning system of the theatre for over two hours.

Written and directed by acclaimed saagni Dharamvir, the saang based on a Haryanavi folktale had borrowed certain celestial and mythological characters like Lord Krishna only to prove and propagate that ‘Greed is a curse’. The story of the saang was weaved around the life of a rich but miser businessman Narsi Seth who prefers to sacrifice his life than to donate a single paisa for any humanitarian cause.

Despite insistence by Lord Krishna, who appears as a pandit at the Ganga ghat, where Narsi Seth had gone to bathe and before paying his obeisance, he agrees to pay one paisa but after reaching his home he thinks it otherwise and pleads to be a poor man and as such unable to donate any money. Seth even pretends to die as the poorest person on Earth whereas Lord Krishna proves that Seth has Rs 11 crore in cash. But under the influence of Lord Krishna, he donates whole money but the Lord in a dramatic situation provides monetary help as ‘bhaat’ to solemnise his daughter Harnandi’s marriage.

The musical dance drama interspersed with comical sequences kept the audience engaged to relish the slice of their traditional culture. The writer, director and narrator, Dharmavir Sangi, played the protagonist Narsi Seth while his son Sonu portrayed the divine Lord Krishna.

To conclude, another saang ‘Khande Rao Pari’ will be presented. As per official spokesperson, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar will be the chief guest during the grand finale of the eight-day Haryanavi Folk Theatre Festival tomorrow.