Actors of Nirman Kala Manch, Patna, perform a play on the premises of Kalidas Rangalaya in the state capital on Wednesday. The play, Andhon Ka Haathi, was staged during the ongoing 21st Patna Theatre Festival that has been organised by Bihar Art Theatre. More than 100 people turned up to see the 45-minute performance. Based on a play written by Hindi poet Sharad Joshi, Andhon Ka Haathi is a satire on the functioning of the government machinery. The artistes drew a parallel between the way the government machinery functions and the way a group of visually impaired people interprets an elephant by touching the animal. The five characters of the play interpret the elephant on the basis of the organ they touch. While one character, who touches the elephant’s trunk, equates it with a python, another equates the legs of the animal with a concrete pillar. At the climax of the play, the visually impaired persons conclude that each of their interpretations contradicts each other and they should leave the judgement to the people. Banful Narayan, Anjarul Haque, Jai Bharti, Sahitya Mishra and Ruby Khatun enacted the parts of the five visually impaired characters in the play that was directed by Nirman Kala Manch member Sharda Singh. Mohammed Zafar played the role of the narrator. Picture by Jai Prakash