Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Aug 11: Natrang Theatre Group today reached at yet another remotest village of Mankote in Mendhar.
Natrang artists braving the border tension, today vibrated the village environs through highly thoughtful plays backed by power packed sound systems and professional concept. Today’s mind-blowing play was based on the story of a young girl ‘Guddi’ representing a major section of rural lower middle class adolescent young girls, who are forced into matrimony at a very tender age.
Written and directed by Padamshree Balwant Thakur, this Natrang’s most celebrated play was based on multiple subjects addressing the problems of girl child, female feticide, education and empowerment of women. In the play the lead character ‘Guddi’ is fully aware of the strains of early marriage, as it has taken its toll in untimely death of her mother. She wants to grow and get educated before she takes up the responsibility of married life. Her dreams are shattered, a ‘suitable’ groom is found and marriage date is fixed. While the marriage ceremonies are being performed, help comes in the form of intervention by legal authorities and decision of marriage is deferred for appropriate time. The play highlights the plight of young girls who are sacrificed at the altar of rotten, redundant customs of illiterate and ignorant sections of our society.
The lead role of the play was played by young dynamic actor Juhi Singh who was supported by senior actor Neeraj Kant as her father. The dialogues, too were flavoured with local Pahari language and culture references. The most relevant theme touching hearts and minds of the audiences was conceptualized, written, devised and directed by Balwant Thakur. Though the audience out here in this remotest part of the world witnessed live theatre performance courtesy Krishna Ghati Brigade for the first time in their life but the messages conveyed through Natrang performances are going to become folk narratives in this village.
The actors of Natrang who braved all odds included Mohd Yaseen, Ankush Lakhnotra, Rajan Thakyal, Deepak Mulsoo, Rohit Sharma, Sudesh Parihar, Shivam Singh, Pankaj Verma, Harbans Lal, Kuldeep Raj Gupta, Sonu and Mandeep Singh.
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