29.12.22: A few days
back, I had an opportunity to witness a late evening Hindi play Thieves’
Carnival at Manna Kendra, Gangtok, organized by the National School of Drama,
Gangtok, and performed by NSD, Sikkim batch of 2021-22. The story is about
three thieves who get entangled in a plot created by a rich and bored lady.
Without a doubt, the backstage creation of the French-language story deserves
much appreciation. The attire worn by the artists, the lights, and the
background music, especially the violin part, were finely synchronized with the
play's mood.
This play was well performed, not too loud, and yet
intriguing because of the wide range of shades of different characters
involved. The entire play was undoubtedly a team effort and very well
displayed, but to me, two characters stand out among all.
Lady Hurf, a rich and
bored lady, tells three thieves a story and becomes their hostess for them. In
the shoes of Lady Hurf, Pallavi Gupta seems destined to be a part of this act.
Her effortless acting drew attention whenever she moved around the stage since
she was comfortable changing her voice. The audience could not hide their
smiles despite the lie she was telling. Big applause for Pallavi.
Aadarsh Pradhan's
portrayal of Dupont Dufort Senior made me sit and watch. His presence in the
play brought laughter to all. No one can ignore his presence, although he isn't
the main character. His performance is based on his voice modulation and body language
wherever he appears on the screen. I have been following Aadarsh’s acting
career since his initial days. His strength is his determination and grit. He
easily adopts the character he plays. I never saw him as Aadarsh. I was
watching Dufort Sr. in front of me during the play. In the play, his greatest
achievement is his ability to hold up a Hindi accent, which is not his native
tongue. Simply the next big thing from Sikkim in the acting genre.
Special mention should be
given to Gustave (Bikash Kattel), Lord Edgard (Dawa Lama), and, of course,
Juliette (Sandhya Barui). A big congratulations to Shri Avtar Sahni for the
direction and design. I wish there were more audiences to appreciate such efforts.
We all appreciate creative entertainment, but when it comes to being part of
it, I missed the so-called popular performing artists, the directors, and the
performers in Gangtok. Or in one sentence, is theatre not a glamour
entertainment industry?
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