Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: The Annual Drama Festival concluded today with the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet which was translated into Hindi by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, directed by Ravinder Sharma and presented by Samooh Theatre here at Abhinav Theatre.
On the occasion, Dr Rama Pandey a well known Radio and television Personality and senior Doordarshan Producer was the chief guest, while Monika Bhagat was the guest of honor.
Dr Aziz Hajini, Secretary, J&K Academy of Art, Cultural and Languages while welcoming the guest announced that the production fee as well as award money will be doubled from this year.
The play Hamlet was about that the Prince Hamlet is depressed. Having been summoned home to Denmark from school in Germany to attend his father’s funeral, he was shocked to find his mother Gertrude already remarried. The Queen has wed Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius, the dead king’s brother. To Hamlet, the marriage is “foul incest”. Worse still, Claudius has had himself crowned King despite the fact that Hamlet was his father’s heir to the throne. Hamlet suspects foul play.
When his father’s ghost visits the castle, Hamlet’s suspicions are confirmed. The Ghost complains that he was unable to rest in peace because he was murdered. He entreats Hamlet to avenge his death, but to spare Gertrude, to let Heaven decide her fate.
Hamlet vows to affect madness puts “an antic disposition on” to wear a mask that will enable him to observe the interactions in the castle, but finds himself more confused than ever. In his persistent confusion, he questions the Ghost’s trustworthiness. What if the Ghost is not a true spirit.
In order to test the Ghost’s sincerity, Hamlet enlists the help of a troupe of players who perform a play called The Murder of Gonzagoto which Hamlet has added scenes that recreate the murder the Ghost described. Hamlet calls the revised play The Mousetrap, and the ploy proves a success. As Hamlet had hoped, Claudius’ reaction to the staged murder reveals the King to be conscience-stricken. Claudius leaves the room because he cannot breathe, and his vision is dimmed for want of light. Con-vinced now that Claudius is a villain, Ha-mlet resolves to kill him. But, as Hamlet observes, “conscience doth make cowards of us all”.
In his continued reluctance to dispatch Claudius, Hamlet actually causes six ancillary deaths. The first death belongs to Polonius, whom Hamlet stabs through a wall-hanging as the old man spies on Hamlet and Gertrude in the Queen’s private chamber. Claudius punishes Hamlet for Polonius’ death by exiling him to England. Ophelia, distraught over her father’s death and Hamlet’s behavior, drowns.
Unencumbered by words, Laertes plots with Claudius to kill Hamlet. In the midst of the sword fight, however, Laertes drops his poisoned sword. Hamlet retrieves the sword and cuts Laertes. The lethal poison kills Laertes. Before he dies, Laertes tells Hamlet that because Hamlet has already been cut with the same sword, he too will shortly die. Horatio diverts Hamlet’s attention from Laertes for a moment by pointing out that “The Queen falls”.
Gertrude, believing that Hamlet’s hitting Laertes means her son is winning the fencing match, has drunk a toast to her son from the poisoned cup Claudius had intended for Hamlet. The Queen dies.
As Laertes lies dying, he confesses to Hamlet his part in the plot and explains that Gertrude’s death lies on Claudius’ head. Finally enraged, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and then pours the last of the poisoned wine down the King’s throat. With his last breath, Hamlet releases himself from the prison of his words “The rest is silence”.
The actors who made the Hamlet alive by portraying the various roles included Sandeep Thakur as Hamlet, Chetan Chark as Horatio, Vishal Singh as Claudius, Rashmi Jasrotia as Gertrude, Devanshu Raina as Polonius, Neha Langeh as Ophelia, Sandeep Manhas as Laertes, Aditiya Pandita as Rosencrantz, Samdhish as Guildenstern, Yuvraj Sharma as Laborer 1, Imran as Laborer 2, Rohan Sharma as Osric, Abhishek Sharma as Boy and actor, Kiran Dalmotra as Girl 1, Sameena Kousar as Girl 2. While Rohot Bains choreographed the play, the music was designed by Suriender Manhas, make-up by Shammi Dameer, Rutvi Koul operated the music in the play, lights by Suraj Ganjoo and Pankaj Sharma, sound operated by Lokesh Chander, costumes and set by Ravinder Sharma and hall management by Anita Chandpuri, Yogeshwer Singh, Ajay Tamangh and Rakshali Sharma.
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