Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: Odia viewers got a taste of contemporary theatre as director Surya Mohanty presented his highly appreciated production Katha Manchana last week.

The play was a part of a two-day drama festival organised by Brajendranath Foundation Trust.

Questioning the integrity of human behaviour in society, the three plays — Saptahara Satadina, Kukura and Udbhasa — were put together to give the viewers’ conscience a jerk.

Chandrasekhar Dasverma’s play Saptahara Satadina centred around a prostitute’s reflections of various incidents that affected her life. It illustrated the violent and selfish aspects of human nature. Compelled by circumstances, a young girl gets into prostitution. But when she meets a man who shows his love for her, she eagerly waits for him and firmly believes he will return. She is left heartbroken when that man is caught in the company of another woman during a police raid. Ushashi, who played the part of the prostitute, gave a convincing performance.

Paresh Patnaik’s short play Kukura or ‘the dog’ was a poignant story of a pet. The play reflected the lives of pets who are given food and shelter, but never receive the affection and loyalty they show to their owners.

Better known for her stylish television appearances, actor Pinky Pradhan, in a red costume, stunned everyone with her performance as the dog.

However, it was Tarunkanti Mishra’s play Udbhasa, which received maximum appreciation from young viewers. Mohanty’s courage to include controversial plots and the young team of artistes who transformed the stage smoothly from a college campus to a dark street by using their collective gestures and expressions, were the outstanding elements in the production. Each of the artistes in this play made an impact and raised the bar for acting on stage.

“I had missed out the last time Katha Manchana was staged. After watching it, I feel Odia theatre is on the revival path. The acting, stagecraft and direction displayed high standards of creativity,” said viewer Lipsa Das.