Of hunger and poverty: Voh Roi depicts plight of common man

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, May 8

In the presence of eminent theatre personalities and littérateurs, a one-day drama and book release event was organised by the Utsav Cultural Trust and the Department of Language, Art and Culture. The event was presided over by Sardar Patel University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Anupama Singh and Mandi Mayor Virender Bhatt. The event was held in the auditorium of Saraswati Vidya Mandir here. Based on a story by Dharam Pal Kapoor, Voh Roi was dramatised and directed by Daksha Upadhyay.

The story presents the conflict between poverty and the hunger of the common man .

In the play, the main characters are from the same family, which is very poor. One by one, the members of the family starve to death due to their financial conditions. In the midst of this ordeal, Rajjo, a mentally challenged daughter of the family, laughs in every odd situation. Perhaps, she does not comprehend the suffering the destitute family goes through. In this play, the mother of the family is a firm and motherly personality. The sole bread-winner of the family, she is portrayed as a woman who thinks of the needs of her family first, and then hers.

She worries more about the hunger of her family than she does her own. Tragically, she is also a victim of rape, suffering at the hands of ruthless anti-social elements, ultimately succumbing to the agony of humiliation and hunger. This is the turning point for Rajjo, the girl who always laughed, as she weeps for the first time, and gives up her life. The title Voh Roi is a nod to this pivotal moment of the play.

The acting skills of the main cast — Erica Sharma, Ved Kumar, Tanmay Sharma, Anil Mahant, Rohit Sharma, Sarita Handa and Daksha Upadhyay — were much appreciated by the gathering. Kashmir Singh handled lighting and sound operations.

Anupama Singh said in the current day and age, it was very important to introduce the youth to the glorious history of the mountains. If youngsters get acquainted with their culture and heritage, they could introduce it to the whole world as well, she added.

A former theatre artiste himself, Virender Bhatt said the Mandi Municipal Corporation would try to provide a suitable space in the city for play rehearsals. Three books of writer Dharam Pal Kapoor were released on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Kapoor said travelling was necessary to explore ideas in order to write well.

Litterateur Vijay Vishal talked about the book Ganga Ram Raji Ke Samgr Saahity Se Gujrate Huye written by Dharam Pal Kapoor, regarding Ganga Ram Raji as the foremost warrior of literature.

Critic and poet Ganesh Gani, who came from Kullu as a special guest at the event, also presented a statement on the works of Ganga Ram Raji.

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