Dramatising hard realities
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A play by well-known Oriya playwright Bijaya Mishra was well received.
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Playwright Bijaya Mishra has been active in the Oriya theatre field for the last few decades and has produced some dramas and radio-plays, which are well-acclaimed. Recently (on May 18 2006) his full-length stage play, Athi, Sethi, Sabuthi was produced at the Rabindra Bhaban of Bhubaneswar by the Orissa Mining Corporation's cultural wing.
Up and coming T.V and stage play director Dhira Mallik directed the drama competently and Bijaya Mishra's drama itself is not flawless. The story relates the destiny (the sad plight rather) of three characters — Jadu Samantara, Madhu Rautara and the anonymous Kaidi 47 (Convict 47).
These three characters whose destiny is being played out in the drama chanced to stay together in a single prison cell. Convict 47 who is imprisoned for the fifteenth time, gives the other two jail immates a dream-offer : he can get them out of the jail if they want.
The two, Jadu Samantara and Madhu Routara, who have been serving jail terms for their innocence rather than any offence decide to flee, and their experiences thereafter become catalystic.
The duo first reach Jadu's home but are vastly surprised: Jadu's half-educated wife is acting like a queenbee, his daughter an enticing socialite and son indulging in heavy drinking. By catering to the pleasure-loving influencing elite, they become quite effluent but in the process become morally bankruptcy. Hence they all drive Jadu back to jail.
Madhu also finds the situation at his home morally revolting. At the time of going to jail on the charge of pick-pocketing (due to a real pickpocket's over-smartness) and the mechanical approach of the law-enforcing authorities, Madhu did not inform his young wife and aging father about how he disappeared into jail.
His years away in jail converted his wife into an immoral self-seeking woman and his father addictive to opium. He is even resentful of Madhu when he comes back from jail. Madhu also finds that some ruffians of the locality have considerable hold on his father and spouse. All of them want him back in the jail.
When the Jadu-Madhu duo again join the Convict 47 in the prison cell, the hardened anti-social relates his story. Iin one of his homecomings from jail he found his only sister planning to elope with her lover.
Dramatist Bijaya Mishara spiced the play with humour and Dhira Mallik so directed the drama that humour enlivened the presentation.
SARAT CHANDRA
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