Friday evening was filled with delightful Odissi performances that were much enjoyed by the Bhopalites at Bharat Bhavan. It was a part of the weeklong Odisha Mahotsav under which the traditional music was presented and also the Odia play was staged at Antarang Hall. In first half, Rajendra Mahapatra along with his troupe played Ranapa, Shankh Vadan and other soothing music. later a play was staged.
The Odia Play ‘Byaghra’ Rohan by Mohan Das targets the bureaucrats and the governing system of the country. Directed by a renowned director of Odisha Nalini Nihar Nayak the play managed to capture the attention of the audience. The play is about a gardening competition where all the gardeners are instructed to establish the beautiful and colourful garden till now. Moreover, it was also announced that the best garden will be given the prize by the king and also he will be honoured with a post of ‘Udyanvidh’.
As the announcement is done in the kingdom, all the gardeners began preparing their gardens and became busy in beautifying them. All of them forgetting all the other things only prepared for the competition and win the prize. One night, one of the gardeners field is destroyed by a pig.
Early in the morning when the gardener checks his garden he is shocked and then plans to catch the culprit. Unaware of the culprit the gardener somehow catches the tiger. He then thought of an idea. He thinks that if he will present the tiger before the king he will be considered as one of the bravest men in town. On the very next second another gardener comes and claims that he has caught the tiger.
As they began to fight, the soldiers and the commander comes to stop the fight but they also indulge into it claiming that they have done the great job. As the matter is taken to the king he claims that the whole kingdom is governed by him and whatever happens here is his call. He asks his son to take over the charge and his son is against this system defining it as unjust.
But abiding with his father’s orders he takes over the charge and then what happens showcased the reality of the governing bodies. The play was much appreciated by the theater buffs as they enjoyed every bit of it.