A drama within
DIWAN SINGH BAJELI
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A memorable social drama, "Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai", mounted by Rangbhoomi, cast a spell on the audience.
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MAGIC A scene from "Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai".
The Hindi version of Vijay Tendulkar's `Shantata! Court Chalo Ahe' (1968) continues to fascinate directors working for professional as well as amateur theatrical groups. We have seen several productions by different directors with varying success. The latest production in Hindi as `Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai' was mounted by Rangbhoomi Delhi at LTG auditorium the other day, casting a spell on a near-capacity hall.
Translated by Sarojini Warga, there is a dialectical unity between the form and content of the play with biting satire. Its form which could be described as a drama-within-drama has inspired some of the contemporary Indian dramatists. Though some critics are of the view that the concept of trial and drama-within-drama are originally a Western concept initiated by Kafka (Inadmissible Evidence), Durrenmatt (Dangerous Game) and Pirandello's Pleasure of Honesty, the characters in `Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai' are wholly Indian in their idiosyncrasy and psychological portrayal. They inhabit a social milieu that forms their class consciousness. A memorable social drama, this play reveals a superb craftsmanship of a dramaturge who knows the deeper contradictions of his society, bringing it to the fore in powerful dramatic terms that shocks the conscience of a smug middle class. The play is directed by Chitra Singh, who trained at Bharatendu Natya Akademi, Lucknow and has served in various leading repertory companies as a senior actress. Her direction reveals the perceptiveness of her directorial art.
Mock trial
The central character of the play is Benare, a schoolteacher who has come with other artistes to perform. To have some fun, these artistes start a mock trial of Miss Benare charging her of aborting her foetus illegally. One artiste assumes the role of a judge, another plays the role of a lawyer and others are presented as the prosecution witnesses. As the proceedings of this mock court begin and the witnesses are examined, the secretly guarded aspects of the life of Miss Benare stand exposed almost imperceptibly. The mood undergoes change from a light-hearted hilarity to one that is grim and bitter. In the process of the exposure, the men-dominated society, in which women are treated as a commodity, is condemned. The two men - a youth and a middle-aged man of letters - who ruined the life of Miss Benare turn out to be spineless. The director and her team of actors are helped by Chandershekhar Sharma as backstage sound designer and Vijay Prakash Singh as lighting technician. Sound and light effects are essential to reinforce the tense mood in the production in moments of searing pathos, agonising feeling of shame and guilt and the mental anguish caused by the opening of old wounds.
The play is aptly cast throughout. The director plays the leading role of Miss Benare. As the play starts, her Miss Benare is a happy-go-luck kind of a young woman. Gradually, her character undergoes a transformation. Accused of murdering her unborn child, her mask of joviality disappears and the life-force projects her real face - the face of a bruised, censured, and condemned woman. As she renders soliloquy, revealing her true self, unafraid of a cruel and insensitive world, her tragedy subtly takes the shape of optimism and life-affirmation. Besides J.P. Singh as judge, Kashikar and Ravi Taneja display their histrionic prowess as seasoned actors of the Delhi stage.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
