Musical play ‘Katha Sukavi Suryamal Ki’ staged

SD Sharma

Chandigarh , February 14

On the third day of the ongoing CSNA Theatre Festival organised by Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi, a Rajasthani play, ‘Katha Sukavi Suryamal Ki’, was staged by Paraffin Society, Kota at Tagore Theatre here today.

Akademi chairperson Kamal Arora welcomed the audience and chief guest Jitender Yadav, IAS, Director, Cultural Affairs, who honoured the artists.

The play directed and scripted by NSD alumnus Rajender Panchal in Rajasthan’s Hatodi dialect and partially in English and Hindi was a salutation to the literary and patriotic persona of revolutinary poet Sukavi Suryamal which was brillantly essayed to perfection by Panchal himself.

Structured in 18th century ambience the play chronicled the life, literary achievements of revolutionary poet Kavi Suryamal Mishran, who was the Royal Court poet of Boondi state. The poet had authored large volumes of poetry eulogizing the Raja Ram Singh of Boondi besides glorifying his dynasty.

While Raja Ram Singh extended his full support with the British East India Company and entered into defense treaty much to the agony of public and thinkers. Poet Suryamal revolted and shelved his literary works on Raja in protest and jumped into the freedom struggle. He sculpted poems of Veer Ras which inspired patriots and people stand up to the dictates of Rajas and British rulers during the 1857 Gadhar movement.

The musical score composed by Rajender Panchal remained lifeline of the play as all actors equally accomplished singers. Besides, Panchal the actors Rajesh V Rai, (Raja Ram Singh) Hitesh Kumar (Col. James Tod) Kuldip ( Bahadur Shah Zafar) essayed respective roles.