Marking the second day of 28th Iftekhar Theatre Festival, Hindi play ‘Mahabhoj’ was staged at Ravindra Bhavan on Sunday.
The play was directed by Ashok Bulani and was performed by the artists of Rang Samooh Theatre Troupe, Bhopal. The play dissects the class and caste antagonistic forces prevailing across a vast rural landscape of Saroha. This assembly constituency has become a hotbed of state politics.
Dalit leader Bisu, who protested against the destruction of property of landless Dalits by landlords, has been brutally murdered. This gory act of ‘high’ caste aristocracy has threatened the survival of the ruling party of the state.
The production brings into focus not only the inherent contradictions between Dalits and the 'high'caste aristocracy, but also the contradictions among the ruling classes . Here is a system which continues to perpetuate the supremacy of the landowning class determined to destroy in a ruthless manner any attempt at resistance.
Binda, a passionately committed Dalit youth is ready to fight against the oppressors. Full of fury, he wants to carry forward the struggle of the oppressed and Bisu, his comrade, causes Dalit liberation. In the character of Mahesh, a researcher, who has come to Saroha to study the class and caste conflict, he finds a trusted sympathiser. Mahesh, since the beginning of the play, remains an objective observer of the class-caste conflict but eventually gets involved in the struggle of the oppressed.
The play was beautifully presented on stage. Each and every detail of the play was kept in mind while staging it. The audience loved the presentation and the acting skills of the ctors present on stage.