Baba Bantu highlights landlord’s fate

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 2

A play, Baba Bantu, was enacted on the third day of sixth Norah Richards National Theatre Festival being held at Punjabi University Patiala today. 

The play was directed by Ravi Taneja of Delhi and written by noted playwright Charan Das Sidhu. It is based on the folk deity Gugga Pir, who is worshipped in the northern states of India, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Gugga Pir is venerated as a saint and a Snake God.

The play portrays a twist of fate with a village landlord meeting a deadly end as a result of his callous and cruel treatment towards Baba Bantu, who is a firm devotee of Gugga Pir. The landlord after raping his daughter kills his son out of sheer lust and merciless attitude. The awakened Baba Bantu gets the landlord killed by a snake.

Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof BS Ghuman, was the chief guest on the occasion. He appreciated initiative of organising festival.