The Hindu : New Delhi News : Remembering Gurudev through theatre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 19, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Remembering Gurudev through theatre

Manisha Jha

Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Dak Ghar’ comes to the Capital this Saturday

Campaign that aims to give children an exposure to Indian culture
Prastuti has come out with numerous productions of dance-dramas on socially relevant themes

NEW DELHI: Children associated with the non-government organisation ‘Prastuti’ will showcase their latest theatre production, Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Dak Ghar’, at Sri Ram Centre here this Saturday.

The play is part of Prastuti’s cultural campaign that aims to give children an exposure to Indian culture through the genre of theatre.

Choreographed by Rakhi Chakraborty and directed by Barin Chakraborty, the play revolves round a young village boy who finds himself virtually shut up in a room because of his severe sickness.

His only interaction with the outside world is through a window from where he visualises the goings-on in the countryside. He exchanges words with those who pass below his enclosure and astounds them with his intuitive remarks as though he has known them for long. He wants to be a free bird and wishes to travel around the world. Fed up with his restricted existence in a tiny room, he longs to breathe in fresh air.

In his wild imagination he awaits a letter from the king to be delivered to him through a newly opened post office or dak ghar in the village.

Sitting in his enclosure he dreams that soon the King will come to meet him in person. However his dream to be with the King remains unfulfilled and soon the sick child falls asleep.

Varied themes

In the nine years of its existence, Prastuti has come out with numerous productions of dance-dramas and audio-visuals with a sharp focus on socially relevant themes ranging from emancipation of women to conservation of environment. Some of its past productions include musical ballet ‘Aparajita: Womanhood Both at its Best and Worst’, theatrical ballet ‘Chhotu: A Story of a Rag-Picker’, social drama ‘Jeene Ka Majaa: The Vicious Circle’ and folk music-based play, ‘Ladaai: The Chasm Between the Urban and Rural Populace’, where most of the participants were drawn from the weaker sections and humble backgrounds. A majority of them were first-timers on the stage.

Prastuti also produced a documentary film, ‘Call of the Greens’, portraying the true story of the exemplary courage shown by the girl students of a remote school in West Bengal against the denudation of their school garden by poachers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi