One of the famous folklore of India ‘lala Hardaul’ was narrated to the Bhopalites in a very authentic manner here on Tuesday at Shaheed Bhavan Auditorium, leaving them mesmerised. The play, lala Hardaul, was directed by a renowned theatre director of the city Balendra Singh and was splendidly performed by Hum Theatre Group, Bhopal.
Set in the Bundelkhandi background, the play showcases the life span of lala Hardaul, a freedom fighter. The play portrayed the different phases of his life and fight for the right. Out of various incidents, one incident was based over the struggle he made to protect his region from Mughals and their reign.
lala Hardaul is a hero from folklores of Bundelkhand. His biopic revolves around the innocent motherly love of Rani Champavati towards her brother in law — Hardaul. lala Hardaul was King Jujhar Singh’s step brother. King’s actual brother, Pahad Singh wants the throne and falsely frames Rani and Hardaul for having an affair, which the king immediately reacts to and orders Hardaul’s death, to be sentenced by Rani herself, if she wants to prove her innocence. The Rani does it, and the king eventually finds out that Hardaul was innocent.
This story is a very famous folktale, and Hardaul is a very honourable figure in a lot of states in India. Besides being brave, Hardaul also worked towards unification of Bundelkhand, throwing away discrimination and pushing for independence. The backdrop and costumes were designed according to give the feel of Bundelkhandi region. Somewhere, even the language had a Bundelkhandi touch. The major part was played by the traditional music played as the background score.
The music was light and soft as the scene or narration demanded. Similarly, the scenes of the script, played with the lighting. The lighting at the stage played a vital role and added immense impact over the script. Further the matured acting skills of the artists also left an impressive impact over the audience.