Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Mar 28: Samooh Theatre’s presentation of the Dogri adaptation of Mahakavi Kalidas’s ‘Abhigyan Shakuntalam’, marked the conclusion of annual drama festival organized by Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, here.
Considered as one of the finest works of Sanskrit literature and Indian poetics, the play by Kalidasa elaborates upon an episode from Mahabharata. The protagonist is Shakuntala, the daughter of apasara Maneka and sage Vishvamitra, who has been brought up as a comely but innocent maiden in the secluded hermitage of Sage Kanva.
Her chance meeting and falling in love with Raja Dhushayant result into a ‘gandharva’ union between the two. The king, who has to leave suddenly, gives her signet ring to be shown by her when she arrives at his court. Lovelorn Shakuntala after failing to attend to sage Durvasa, is cursed by him that her lover would forget her existence and would only recall her when he sees the ring.
Truly, when she looses the ring while washing her hand in a river, she is not recognized by her husband. But when the ring reaches to the king through a fisherman who finds it from belly of a fish, the king is reminded of Shakuntala. After few years, when Dushayant by chance finds Shakuntala with their son, his joy has no bounds.
Translated\adapted by Dr Sudhir Mahajan and directed\designed by Ravinder Sharma, today’s was marked by a play design aimed at a kind of musical rendering of the masterpiece through a combination of poetry set to musical and choreographed compositions. Keeping to tradition of Sanskrit drama, minimal sets and props were used. Appropriate costumes helped in establishing the characters.
The scene when Dhushayant and Shakuntala fall in love, though seeming contrived, was noticeable for its rhythmic movements and the consequent rise emotion of ‘rati’.
Neha Bogal as Shakuntala, Mridual Raj Anand as Dushyant carried their roles very well. Others who also acted well included Sunnedhi Sharma as Anusuya\Janani 1, Poonam as Pryambada\Janani 2, Vikram Khatri as Madhavya\Sadhu. Other members of the cast were Kanika Sharma, Ajay Tamangh, Kartik Saini, Abhishek, Rajat Gupta and Mukul Bains. Backstage team included Rohit Bains-choreography, Brij Mohan, Surinder Manhas-music, Vikram Khatri-sets, Krishan Bala costumes, poetry-Shivani Anand. The play was assisted by Ponam.
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