Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb, 26
Natrang presented Dogri play ‘Mahabhoj’ which gave Dogri theatre a global acclaim for it’s unconventional style of presentation and innovative direction here today in National Theatre Festival at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubneshwar The festival is organized by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Government of Odisha, Bhubneshwar. Written by Mannu Bhandari , translated in Dogri by Prof. R.N. Shastri, play Mahabhoj is innovatively directed by Balwant Thakur. In this National Theatre Festival, ‘Purva Ranga’ most elite theatre groups/directors of the country are being featured including Rudraprasad Sengupta, Arjun Deo Charan, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha and Pradeep Bhol.
The most noteworthy feature of the performance was featuring of Anil Tickoo in lead who has been conferred this year’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Acting in Theatre. This exclusive presentation also featured two Bismillah Khan Yuva Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees Vikrant Sharma and Sumeet Sharma besides other highly accomplished actors and State Awardee Suraj Singh as music Director.
Acclaimed all-over for its unique style of presentation and innovation this unconventional play ‘Mahabhoj’ revolves around the agricultural labourers of ‘SAROHA’ who bear the brunt of the wrath of their landlord for raising voice against his atrocities. In a gruesome act of arson, their settlements are torched and nine innocent lives are lost. “Beesu”, a fiery young man is murdered in a dastardly act and a bold voice is strangulated. The murder of ‘Beesu’ is sensationalized and every political party is out to earn maximum mileage out of it as elections are round the corner. The Media magnifies this tragedy beyond proportions. The Chief Minister, Da Sahib, mastermind behind the murder, uses this murder as a weapon to silence his opponents and suppress internal unrest within party ranks. The hurt sentiments of people of ‘Saroha’ are nursed by installing a Cottage Industry Project, thus, providing employment opportunities. A fresh inquiry is ordered into Beesu’s murder. The politics of power plays its dirty game once again and truth becomes a casualty. ‘Binda’ a friend of Beesu and a crusader, is falsely implicated and arrested. The play deals both with the hawkish lust of human beings for power and tenacity of human race to stand up courageously against all odds.
Today’s performance will be remembered for mind blowing acting, highly innovative direction and soulful music. The artists who performed in the play includes Suresh Kumar, Anil Tickoo, Neeraj Kant,Vikrant Sharma, Mohd. Yaseen, Meenakshi Bhagat, Vrinda Sharma, Abhinav Sharma and Sumit Raina. Music to this mega theatre production of Natrang has been rendered by Suraj Singh and the lights of the play were executed by Sumeet Sharma.
