Bhubaneswar, July 10: An aging couple, their boring marriage and an unexpected affair in their twilight years had the audience in splits at Bhanja Kala Mandap on Monday.

Theatre enthusiasts in the city were most appreciative of the comic play that they found to be a refreshing departure from the usual morose themes. The play was staged as part of the Natyadhara Festival organised by the association of theatre troupes of the state — Odisha Natya Sangha.

Titled Pranasangini, or “beloved”, the play staged by city-based theatre group Sabuja Natyasanstha, was an enjoyable tale about the waning love between an aging couple and the spark lent to it by an old flame.

Prakash, a retired military servant, lives with his 65-year-old wife Satyabhama and their 45-year-old marriage has been quite dull so far. But everything turns topsy turvy when Harihar, Satyabhama’s admirer from her younger days, comes back into her life.

She misses her old admirer and meets him often but when Prakash prevents her from getting too close to Harihar, she gets angry and the couple start arguing.

Tongue-in-cheek humour and wry remarks during these arguments had the audience rolling with laughter. Also, the expressions and impressive dialogue delivery of the three lead characters made the play an entertaining affair.

“Unlike the usual gloomy themes that are almost close to folk theatre, this play was very fresh and novel in many ways. From the jovial dialogues to the funny performances, there were many elements in the play that made it interesting,” said Prabhudatta Behera, a theatre enthusiast.

The theatre was jam-packed with an appreciative crowd that applauded liberally the striking performances of Dharitri Khandual, Pradipta Swain and Prasanta Mohapatra. Director Seemanta Mohanty, who is also the playwright of Pranasangini, also won appreciation.

“I’m glad that the viewers appreciated our play. I was initially sceptical about how theatre enthusiasts in Bhubaneswar would react to the plot that talks about an aging couple and their extra-marital affair. My team and I are not only relieved but also delighted to see the amazing response,” said Mohanty.