On moonlit evenings, Grandfather Fairy tale or Golpo Dadu sits atop a hill and tells the sad tale of a damsel in distress. She longs for her knight in shining armour. Ganakrishi’s new production Megh Manabi (July 21, Academy of Fine Arts), the first play of the Ganakrishti Natya Utsav, is set against the backdrop of this fairy tale beginning.

But why would Ganashakti, known for its commitment to social issues of topical interest, churn out a mushy mythological tale? Because the traditional story bears such an uncanny resemblance to the situation of girls growing up in red light areas who feel just as trapped. The transformation of one such girl, fictionalised as Bristi, from a bubbly child to a bright student to finally a broken and battered sex worker (played by Madhurima Paul and Munmum Dasgupta) constitutes the main action of the play.

Director Jahar Das weaves an engaging story with so convincing a build-up of plot and character that by the time Bristi finally concedes defeat near the end, the actress’ (Dasgupta’s) uncontrollable tears are entirely credible. She couldn’t stop weeping even during the curtain call. The adda sessions of the college students too are enjoyably realistic. What needs to go, however, are the awkward love scenes and the accompanying asinine dialogues.