Students of Loyola School got to relive characters created by one of India's best-loved litterateurs, Munshi Premchand.

Love, friendship and various nuances of human emotions came alive through plays at Srijan 2016, an inter-house drama contest, hosted by the Hindi Dramatics Club of Loyola School on Thursday, for the author's upcoming birth anniversary celebrations.

The contest, organised to mark the 136th birth anniversary of Premchand, saw around 80 students from Classes VI to XII bring to life the timeless appeal of Premchand through commendable acting.

"Munshi Premchand, is regarded as one of the greatest writers in Hindi literature. Students nowadays are ignorant about the society that prevailed during his lifetime, from 1880 to 1936. Students got an opportunity to know more about the writer through the plays," said Sushma Singh, a senior teacher of Hindi department, Loyola School.

The four houses of Loyola School - Panther, Leopard, Jaguar and Cheetah - staged some Premchand's famous stories before schoolchildren and judges comprising theatre professionals and Hindi teachers of other schools.

Panther House staged Panch Parmeshwar, a story that portrays the journey of two close friends turning foes after one gets elected as the village sarpanch.

While Leopard House staged Lottery, a story of a family aspiring to win a lottery ticket, Jaguar House performed Idgah, a story which explores the tender relationship of a five-year-old boy Hamid and his grandmother. Cheetah house put up a heart-warming play titled Boodhi Lathi which revolves around an old woman craving for love.

"We have always been inspired by Munshi Premchand's stories which are simple yet so touching. We got to know him and his work better by enacting out his stories," said Vedang Raj, a Class XI student of Loyola School.

All performances being finely etched, it was a close contest before Panther House emerged winner.

The school also plans to host an inter-school Hindi drama next year, giving an acting platform to more students.