Artistes stage Nidhi Babu Ghare Achha? at Rabindra Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, May 25: A heart-warming play narrating the woes of a middle-aged man by city-based theatre troupe Abhinaya Jagruti Institute of Theatre (AJIT) was staged at Rabindra Mandap.

The play staged on last evening was presented as part of a cultural evening organised by the Jaikiran Trust.

The play titled Nidhi Babu Ghare Achha? (Is Nidhi Babu at home?) is a story of trials and tribulations of an unassuming man named Nidhi (portrayed by actor named Kishore), who likes to lead a peaceful life.

A mentally challenged woman, who is apparently expecting, starts living near Nidhi’s home. The day the woman gives birth to the child, she is found dead.

Nidhi starts taking care of the baby girl and names her Sati. However, he is soon arrested for the murder of the infant’s mother. Nidhi is sentenced to jail for five years. After his return, he again starts leading a normal life.

On another unfortunate event, he gets trapped in the crossfire between Naxalites and police. When he is found unconscious near an AK-47 rifle, he is arrested for being a Maoist leader. He is awarded life imprisonment, but due to his good conduct, is released four years early. Simultaneously, Sati, played by actress Manishita Das, is grown up and four boys who consider themselves as her brother protect her.

Nidhi on his return asks them to go away, but the boys deny saying that they would not leave till Sati is married off. On the other hand, Nidhi campaigns for two political candidates. One of them is Braja (played by actor Deepak Ranjan), grandson of a former chief minister, and another is a former jail inmate of Nidhi. It is later found out that Sati is pregnant, but she refuses to name the father of the child.

Braja, the father of the child and self-confessed womaniser, feels threatened and goes to kill Sati, but Nidhi kills him. He goes to jail again, but this time rather being proud of his action.

As he leaves, he tells Sati if people enquire about him tell them “Nidhi is coming” referring to her unborn child.

The play was penned by veteran playwright Bijay Mishra and directed by noted actor-director Ajit Das.