Marking the second day of 35th National Theatre Festival, the story of first female nautanki actress Gulab Jaan was presented. The Hindi play ‘Miss Gulab Jaan’ was staged at Ravindra Bhavan here on Friday, leaving the audience totally enthralled.
Miss Gulab Jaan was presented by Rang Vinayak Rangmandal theater repertory, Bareilly. The play was directed by Randhir Kumar and playwright by Asif from Chhapra Bihar, a NSD Alumni and recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva award by Sangeet Natak Academy for his writings.
Based on the autobiography of Gulab Bai, the famous and first female artist in Nautanki that made her living legend, the play ‘Miss Gulab Jaan’ showcased the personal, professional and social conflicts in her life as an artist, a dalit woman, lover, wife, mother; a single woman in a profession dominated by men.
The play deals with personal, professional and social conflicts in her life, and makes everyone, especially an artist, realize how and what an artist goes through life.
Gulab Bai, popularly known as Gulab jaan, was an Indian stage performer of Nautanki the first female artist of the traditional operatic drama and considered by many as its pre-eminent exponent She was the founder of the Great Gulab
Theatre Company, a successful Nautanki troupe The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990.
The play was beautifully presented. Light design and stage backdrop was wonderfully designed that added zest in the performance. Besides, the audience impressed the audience with their outstanding performances.