A Hindi play ‘Patkatha, marking the third day of Anjay Tiwari Theatre Festival, ’ left the audience into deep thoughts. Directed by Manas Bharadwaj, the play was wondrously performed by the artists of Rabbit Theatre Group, Mumbai. The play is based on a Hindi poetry Patkatha which depicts the challenges faced by the nation and the struggle of the common man in Post-Independent Era.
The story begins with introduction of an elderly man who remembers his old memories. He remembers how the country was when he was young and how the things were at that time. As he goes back to era, he remembers that the country was a corruption free country, there was peace all over, there was time for one and another and there were a lot of joyous moments.
A young man introduces himself on stage describing today’s country. As he keeps his point of view before the old man he says that as compared to old times today people have more facilities. They have everything they can buy, and there is no starvation for anything else anymore. He says that today this world is full of privileges and comfort.
later, a female journalist appears on the stage keeping her point of view before them. like this as many as 27 characters come on stage and share their view points in the form of one way interaction. The poem was written by Dhoomil in early seventies. And sadly, the situations from seventies till now have not changed much. According the director, “This play questions the system and also encourages the people to speak up against wrong.”