A Hindi play Dheevrashakuntam was staged at Madhya Pradesh State Tribal Museum here on Friday. The play was stage d under the regular series of dramas ‘Abhinayan’.
The play is based on Kalidasa’s epic poem Abhigyan Shakuntalam written by Radhavallabh Tripathi. In this version, a fisherman is made the protagonist of the story. The play was directed by Devendra Pathak.
Dheevrashakuntam is about the lost ring of Shakuntala. A fisherman Dheevra finds the ring in the stomach of a fish. looking at the jewel he gets astounded and goes to the capital Hastinapur to sell it.To sell the ring, he reaches a goldsmith's shop. The goldsmith tells him that it is not a real jewel and tried to forge with the fisherman. But, fisherman understands the goldsmith’s trick and a huge argument takes place. There is a dispute between the two only when Rajpurush (Raja's sepoy) comes there.
Uparthi (goldsmith) puts a theft charge on that fisherman. Rajpurush takes the fisherman and goldsmith to the Palace. At the palace, the King Dushyant remembers his meeting with Shakuntala, he keeps the ring and in return gives a gift to the fisher man.
heevra comes out with a prize, only then the Rajshiyal asks for his share and takes hime to the bar. There, the fisherman starts sharing about his personal life and tells Rajshiyal that his beloved’s name is also Shakuntala. Hearing this name, Rajshiyal gets very angry. In return fisherman says that it is just a coincidence that his and King’s beloved’s names are same, but Rajshiyal refused to hear anything and asks him to leave the capital immediately.
Dheevara is lying unconscious on the streets, only when his beloved comes looking for him. She tells that her father has fixe3d her marriage with someone else and so she followed him so that they can start their life. Dheevara and his beloved decide to settle their home far away and walk away from there.