Artistes of Uttar Purush stage Nirbasita Nanabaya in Rourkela. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Rourkela, Feb. 12: A play performed by artistes of Bhubaneswar-based theatre organisation Uttar Purush enthralled residents at the Civic Centre here on Sunday evening.

As part of a programme sponsored by the Union culture ministry, Uttar Purush performed a play, Nirbasita Nanabaya, written by Sahitya Akademi award winner Ramachandra Behera.

The audience liked the play which shows the despair of parents at villages who sent their children to towns to earn more money and whose wards fell to various traps that subsequently make their lives miserable.

Based on an incident, the play portrayed a girl, who was sent by her parent to the city to work as a salesperson. She fell in love with a colleague. She was found pregnant while in her village and the villagers forced her parents to shun her as she was still not married to anyone. She even did not find her lover in times of need. Forced by the villagers, her parents decided to leave her in a short-stay home in the town.

Director Abhinna Routray, who directed the play, said the Union culture ministry had sponsored its performance in three towns. “We had performed it in Bhubaneswar earlier. Our second performance was in Rourkela. We will also have a show in Puri next month,” he said. The play was organised with the help of local theatre troupe, Pratidhwani, that provided logistic support. Co-ordinator of Pratidhwani Sarat Das said the direction, art direction, music and the performances were worth watching.

Aseem Basu was the art director. All artistes were from television and theatre troupes. “The play bore a message that suits the contemporary society. The theatrical adaptation and the performance was heart touching. Such plays should be played at many places,” said Das.