State Times News
JAMMU: Natrang staged a new Hindi play Maadhavi with ethic traditions of the Mahabharata’s times under its Sunday theatre series here today. Written by legendary playwright Bhisham Sahni and directed by Rahul Singh, the play recounts an ancient tale from the Mahabharata.
The play with a fine ideological spin portrayed Munikumar Galav, arrogant disciple of sage Vishwamitra, insists on giving him Gurudakshina, even though the sage wants nothing. In exasperation Vishwamitra asks for 800 white Ashwamedhi horses. Only 600 such horses exist in Aryavarta, three kings owning 200 each. People advise Galav to go to King Yayati, who now lives in an ashram, but has a prodigious reputation for generosity. Yayati gives him his daughter Madhavi who is blessed with two boons: she can renew her virginity and youth whenever she wants and each son she bears will be Achakravarti. So Galav gives her away to one horse-owning king after another for just one year in return for the 200 Ashwamedhi horses they possess. She in turn gives them each a son. Still they are 200 short. So Madhavi goes and offers herself to Vishwamitra for a year and he dispenses with the last 200 horses.
She had to live up to her father’s and Galav’s expectations. Yayati sacrifices his daughter in the name of his ego and reputation because for him being helpless is not at all taken. Galav for his own selfish motive to fulfil his Gurudakhshina uses poor Madhavi for the 800 horses. Madhvi a male-bearing womb and a poor girl who loses her virginity and honour for her father and Galav. She truly loves Galav and want him to be free from his Aurudakhshina and sacrifices her beauty for him but in the end when she became old and wrinkled Galav tells her to leave him which makes her realise that Galav was in love with her beauty and physical appearance. Poor Madhavi in the name of reputation of her father and love is worn and in the end is shed off. The play portrayed sacrifices done by the women since ancient times and emphasized on the power of a woman.
The actors who gave brilliant performances in this very challenging play included Goutam Sharma as Yayati, Nikhil Dubey as Ashramvasi-1, Shray Bakshi as Ashramvasi-2, Akshit Koul as Raj Jyotishi, Gautam Kumar as Galav, Vanshika Dubey as Maadhavi, Jyotikant Sharma as Harishchye, Sourabh Prajapati as Mantri, Mohit Koul as Devodas, Bhanu Pratap Singh as Vishwamitra and Shivam Singh as Tapas. The lights of the play were designed and executed by Mahikshit Singh, Brijesh Avtaar Sharma did the music of the play and Shivam Singh designed the sets of the play. Aishwarya Sathe designed the costumes, Neeraj Kant did the Make-up and show was coordinated by Mohammad Yaseen. Meenakshi Bhagat did the presentations of the play.
Amongst others, the staging of this exclusive opening show was witnessed by Malvika Jolly of Columbia University, New York (USA), Priyanka D’Souza of M.S University Baroda and Ansh Gawande of Columbia University, New York (USA) besides Director Natrang Balwant Thakur.