Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 8: Hill Thespian, the group of young and enthusiastic amateur theatre artists led by actor/director Sunil Sharma, staged an impactful production of Badal Sircar’s modern classic Pagla Ghoda, at the Abhinav Theatre, here today.
Highlighting the deeply entrenched patriarchy in Indian society and its impact on both men and women, the play’s story begins with four men -Kartik, Satu, Himadri and Sashi, who having just cremated an unknown woman and are waiting in the shamshan for the pyre to die out. To pass the time they play cards, get drunk and start philosophizing about life. In the process, they also narrate their love stories and reveal their love-lives barring one, who is too reticent to speak. Towards the end, this man acknowledges his love for the girl who is burning………. In a stunning climax, the burning girl shrieks for her beloved calling him to take him out from the funeral pyre…………
Directed and designed by young Sunil Sharma, today play was marked by an overall well-knit performance by the team of actors who–notwithstanding the intense layers, subplots and the intertwining backstories of all the five characters-kept the audience engrossed.
Especially welcome was the return to the stage of veteran actor Surinder Goel in the role of Kartik. The cast; Sandeep Thakur as Satu, Abhishek as Himadri and Neeraj Sethi as Sashi , were able to forge the right chemistry between the four characters, through well thought and executed blocking, movements and physical behaviour.
The lone female actor Sunaina in multiple roles as Malti, Mili, Lakshmi as Ladki, also left an indelible mark for the way, she effortlessly glided from one persona to another while imparting individuality to each character.
The music team included Jan Mohammad, Roheet Verma, Hempreet Kaur and Ashima. The songs and score though soulful and added emotional intensity-was at times loud and drowned the dialogues.
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