Ek Ajnabi, a Hindi play that depicts the role of the community in healing sectarian wounds, was staged in the capital on Tuesday evening, a timely event that helped soothe frayed nerves of residents reeling under the impact of attempts made the previous night to disrupt peace and harmony in Ranchi.
Presented by Masoom Art Group of Daltonganj, Ek Ajnabi tells the story of how an entire locality comes together to protect a woman of another community who had taken refuge in a house to escape from the clutches of a group of goons during a riot.
It was a part of Navodit, a three-day theatre festival organised by Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in association with the state art and culture department at Ranchi University's Aryabhatt auditorium between September 28 and 30. In all, seven plays were staged, including one each in Bhojpuri and Odiya.
Written by Saikat Chattopadhyay and directed by Munmun Chakrabarty, Ek Ajnabi is the story of Laila who takes shelter in a house belonging to someone from another community during a riot. Once the goons are gone, Laila comes to know that Bhutnath, a bachelor, had rented the part of the house she had come into.
Together, they agree to introduce themselves to the neighbours as a married couple. But the goons come back and demand Laila be handed over to them. That's when neighbours unite and refuse to meet the demands of the rioters.
Do Laila and Bhutnath end up married? That was immaterial. What mattered was the play's message: Stand united and raise your voice against evil designs so that the social fabric remains intact.
Despite its serious tone, the play did have several hilarious sequences. "Being entertaining is the basic condition of a play though the aim is to spread a message," said playwright Saikat, who also acted in the lead role of Bhutnath, opposite director Munmun, who played Laila. The supporting cast backed them up competently, especially Kamlakant Kumar as landlord Yadavji.
"Dealing with a serious issue through entertainment was the beauty of the play. It reminded me of Charlie Chaplin films which did the same," commented national award winning short filmmaker Meghnath, who was among the audience.
At a time when the administration was trying its best to maintain peace and citizens' groups were holding peace marches, Ek Ajnabi was a gentle reminder that the need of the hour was to stay united and speak up against social evils.
