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Darpan theatre festival: Tales of epic love, sacrifice draw applause
The show at the Darpan theatre festival also had elements of classical and folk songs with exquisitely choreographed dance pieces and laudable performances by actors
The second day of the Darpan theatre festival drew a full house and constant applause for Atul Satya Koushik’s play ‘Prem Ramayan’ at the Sant Gadge auditorium in Lucknow on Friday.
Based on the Indian epic Ramayana, the play depicts five love stories and the sacrifices made by five women.
It includes the narratives of Lord Ram and Sita, Kaikeyi and Dashrath, Shanta (Dashrath’s daughter) and Rishi Shringi, Laxman and Urmila, Meghnath and Sulochana.
It starts with the untold story of Shanta and Rishi Shringi. Given up for adoption by Dasharatha and Kaushalya to fulfil a promise, Shanta grows up in Anga Pradesh and develops numerous talents.
As her father’s country has not received rain for a long time due to a curse, he is told that if he could get the sage Rishi Shringi, who has lived a completely chaste life, to conduct a yagna, the kingdom will prosper again. When no one else is ready, Shanta is sent to call Rishi Shringa to Anga Desh, where they subsequently marry.
In another narrative, Kaikey’s sacrifice is shown. Despite Lord Ram being the closest son, she has to send him to 14 years of exile to save him and her husband from the curse of Srawan Kumar’s father. Similarly, Sita had to go through 14 years of exile before being taken captive by Ravan.
In the Laxman-Urmila episode, Urmila suffers alone as her spouse is in exile. Also, Sulochana has to lose her spouse Meghnath in a war despite having nothing to do with it.
“Does war have to be fought?” “Does anyone ask us if war is necessary?” she asks.
The show also had elements of classical and folk songs with exquisitely choreographed dance pieces and laudable performances by actors Arjun Singh, Sushmita Mehta, Megha Mathur while singing by Latika Jain and dance direction by Anjali Munjal.
