There is a ‘Ravaan’ in each one of us. With this message Hindi play ‘Ravaan’ was staged at Shaheed Bhavan auditorium here on Friday.
The play marked the culmination of 16th Rang Alaap Theatre Festival which was organized in the memory of Habib Tanvir.
The play was directed by a young theatre director Ashish Pathak and was written by Bhushan Bhatt.
The play was beautifully presented by the artists of Samagam Rangmandal, Bhopal. In this play, the writer has tried to depict that there is a ravan in each of the individual.
Concept wise the play remains contemporary, but the base of it remains traditional.
In many ways, the play has brought the characters of the epic Ramayana on stage through contemporary performance. The poor is made ‘Ram’ and his poverty is considered as his ‘Van Vaas’ (the 14 years of forest exile of lord Ram), his wife is ‘Sita’ in terms of beauty and intelligence. And, the most important character the elite class is ‘Ravaan’.
The play begins in nautanki style, wherein the villagers come up on stage and narrate their story to the audience. With some music, dance body movements and great expressions the artists tried hard to maintain the interest of the audience on them.
All through the narration, the artists show how the elite class is a boon and curse.
They rose to power and act humble with them.
Poor people think they are good, but in the end the elite discloses that they are Ravaan in disguise as saint.