Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, June 30:
In its endeavors to come up with a theatre production every Sunday, Natrang presented a hard hitting satire ‘Naqshe Mei Nidhan’ written by Mani Madhukar and directed by Neeraj Kant at Natrang Studio Theatre Jammu. The play talks about preserving nature and atrocities of coppers, name given to the cops in England.
The play opens with four people in joker’s attire, trying to engross the audience. These four characters are seen holding play cards with communism, socialism and unemployment written on it, with a pinch of satire. A conversation strikes between the crowd and these four people, the crowd is seen pointing the atrocities of leaders towards the common and ignorant people.
The crowd, in their satirical comments reminds, how they are capable of breaking a revolution if their problems are ignored. In a spur of a moment crowd diffuses with these four jokers and the act starts. One from the four character transforms into an old man, the second one becomes a census officer, while he’s in the middle of his act, taking essential details from the old man, an argument breaks between the second and the third character regarding geography and demographics of India. The play is some genius writing by Mani Madhukar which spheres iniquities of Britishers towards poor Indians.
The play also talks about the mutiny in 1857 where a soldier named Mangal Pandey raised his voice against the wrongdoings done by Britishers and how cruel were Indian policemen in British era.
Rise of two sister cities, Bombay and London was enacted by the characters, a thanks giving to the Britishers for bringing industrialization in India. Though set in the pre-India independence period, the playwright has beautifully portrayed the fate on common man in the hands of people in power.
The actors who performed in the play included Abhinav Sharma, Chirag Anand, Udit Sagar, Sumit Raina, Aarti Bhagat, Kananpreet Kaur and Akash Wadhwan.
The lights of the play were designed and executed by Neeraj Kant and the show was coordinated by Mohd. Yaseen.
