It was not a sagacious tale of the kings and the queens, but it was a unique story of the struggle and sacrifices of the soldiers and common people of India. Showcasing the mutiny of 1857, a play ‘1857 Ki Kahani, Haryana ki Zubani’ was staged at Ravindra Bhavan Auditorium here on Monday.
The play was staged marking the opening of Aadi Vidrohi Theatre Festival. The theatre festival is dedicated to the freedom struggle during 1857.
Directed by Gurucharan Singh Chani, the play was splendidly performed by the artists of Centre for Education Voluntary and Action (CEVA), Chandigarh.
The torture by British was bad, but still it did not stop the struggle of the revolutionaries. In the Mutiny of 1857, Haryana played a significant role.
It was an uprising where the local rajas, zamindars, sepoys, faqirs and ordinary people collectively fought decisive battles against the cruel role of British East India Company.
Whereas some of the rajas supported the British by providing their troops to crush the revolt, there were other local rulers who were already annoyed with the British policies, for they were deprived of their privileges and it did not take long for them to jump in the caravan of revolt. As a matter fact it is a story of shameful betrayal of the ordinary people wanting to free themselves from the oppression of the foreign rule.
The play 1857 Ki Kahani Haryana Ki Zubani is about the victory and loss in the mutiny in Haryana. The use of Swang the folk theatre of Haryana integrating with the contemporary theatre techniques was commendable. With feet-tapping music, to shading of the light design and from costumes to the heavy dialogue delivery the play was made watching worthwhile and impactful.