Acting up

Get ready for a heady dose of theatre with the national school of drama's student productions that deal with everything from illegal mining to problems faced by Muslim women

Every Friday, you get something new at the screen near you, but for a dose of good old theatre, you still have to wait till someone comes out with good productions. So if you are among those who values some good stagework, then here's a treat for you. the National School of Drama (NSD) is once again back with its theatre
festival that will showcase six student productions in six days.



Getting into their minds
There is Mirage, Zero One, Tota Bola, Ferrous, Jannat Mahal and Papa Laden. "Delhi is a diverse city and so is our institution. We have students coming from all parts of the country and learning theatre with us. They study with us for almost three years and after that demonstrate what they have learnt," says Paray Sharma, production manager.
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Shadow effect
The plays are based on varied topics. There is Zero One, an interactive performance where there would be games where the audience can participate. However, it is not all about games and deals with the controversial subject of illegal mining in Goa. Paringanba Loitongbam, is trying his hands at theatre for the first time. His production, Mirage, is based onu00a0 Kalidas' Ritusamhara. "I always wanted to do Kalidas samroh. This is about the hope and despair of today's youth. Everything that happens in real life is virtual, it's all a mirage," he says.

Heavenly feast
Another play Jannat Mahal talks about the problems faced by Muslim women. The director Sahna says: "I am a Muslim myself, so I understand the complexities of the subject. I have seen my relatives and friends going through the troubles that I am portraying in the play." The play is based on widow marriages. It deals with a woman who is forced to marry her husband's brother post his demise. It depicts how she is bound by rules and not allowed to take her own decisions.

From the fantasy land
If by now you are thinking that all the plays deal with serious subjects, then relax. Papa Laden is an improvised play with a light subject. "It is about a family where a man lives with his wife and father. The father doesn't treat his son nicely and that is basically the reason for all the chaos in his life," says Suman Malliteddi, the director.

So the man wants to get rid of his father the same way the entire world wanted to get rid of Osama bin Laden. Saddened by his father's behaviour, the man gets treated badly even by his wife to whom he goes for some succour. Finally he finds a way out of all the mess. He starts living in the fantasy world. He kills his father in his dreams and romances with his wife and lives his life happily. Gives us a clue to what we should do when the everyday drudgery gets to us?

Cut and keep
August 3
Zero One, Interactivve performance, Bahumukh
August 4
Tota Bola, based on Chadrashekhar Kambar's Jokumarswami, Abhimanch
August 5
Ferrous, Interactive performance, Abhimanch
August 6
Jannat Mahal, Based on Fakir Mohammed Katpadi's Zulekha, Open Space
August 7
Papa Laden, Abhimanch

On till: August 7
At: National School of Drama, Bhagwandas Road
Entry: By registration
Ring: 23382821