Check and Mate Staged on Day 4 of 11th Norah Richards Theatre Festival at Punjabi University

The 11th Norah Richards Theatre Festival, being jointly organised by the Youth Welfare Department, Punjabi University, here, North Zone Cultural Centre and the Language Department, Punjab, in collaboration with Sarthak Rangmanch and Social Welfare Society, marked its fourth day with the performance of the play “Check and Mate”.

The play, written by Aashish and Shameer and directed by Shameer, was presented in the Hindustani language. The narrative of the play revolves around Munsif Hussain Abdi, a famous chess player who is now old and living in a rented house with his wife and two sons (all chess players).

Abdi holds onto the hope that he will one day be given his due rights, while his wife is weary of his inappropriate emotions and unreasonable ethics.

The play concluded with “Miyan Munsif” compromising the changing times, all while the audience enjoyed his quick wit and humorous reactions toward different characters.

Dr Jaishri and Shameer captivated the audience with their natural timing in the roles of husband and wife. Nusra won hearts with her performance as the landlady. Other artistes, including Shreya, Mirza Tariq, and Dr Naseem, also excelled in their respective roles. Uttam Daral managed the lighting.

The chief guest for the dramatic evening was Dr Kamlesh Uppal, former Head of the Department of Theatre and Television, and a theatre critic. He praised the use of the Urdu language in the play, calling it sweet and cultured. Dr Uppal commended the continuous effort of Sarthak Rangmanch in organising this festival, stressing its necessity in the present time, and noted the importance of staging plays on such serious issues.

Dr Bhim Inder Singh honoured the artistes with a “Phulkari” (traditional Punjabi embroidery) and announced the expansion of the festival to a one-month event in the coming years.