Lalit Gupta
JAMMU Dec 17: Local playwright Rajneesh Gupta’s adaptation of Rajinder Singh Bedi’s original Radio Urdu play, Kirayedaar, was staged on the Day-3 of the Annual Drama Festival at the Abhinav Theatre, here today.
Staged by Chander Bhaga Sanskriti Manch, and directed by Rajneesh Gupta and Meera Tapasavi, today’s play came out as an engaging performance that brought alive the moral dilemma of a newly married Muslim couple who come to Mumbai and move in a rented room.
As the rented room was earlier occupied by a prostitute, the frequent knocking on the door by her old customers and lewd overtures by neighbors greatly upset the young housewife. Who unable to bear the humiliation of being considered as women of easy virtue, urges her husband to go back to the village. The husband, an honest person unable to arrange a decent accommodation is even tempted to take a bribe. The wife, in order to help her husband also toys with the idea of entertaining guests. In the end, the couple gets over their temporary temptations, resolve to fight against all odds to build a future in the metro only.
The lead actors Balwinder Singh as Hamid and Meera Tapasavi as Salma gave engrossing performances by portraying the gamut of emotions marking the transition of a fun and frolic-loving couple to dark shadows of ill reputation, the temptations to make easy money, and their final resolve.
Set designed by Jagpal, with areas demarking the room, window by the street, a kiosk of pan seller, helped in free and easy movement and groupings of actors and the shift from one sequence to another. Light design by Ajay-especially in the scene wherein a roadside Romeo makes vulgar remarks, and the shadow play showing a modern dance sequence-was quite effective. Rakesh Anand’s background score and selection of songs both live as well as recorded appreciably added to the intended effects and moods. Makeup was by Kamal Sharma, costumes by Madhu Gupta, while Sanjay Rometra supported the production.
Other actors who also gave good performances were Abhinav as Paan Wala /Drunkard, Rajni Bhatti as Shamshad Begum, Sudesh Thakur as Kallu/Drunkard 2, Ajay as Dancer and Rajesh Raina as Seth. Tomorrow, Hardeep Dance & Cultural Society will present Hindustani play Dhaed Roti.
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