Bhubaneswar, April 25: Life has been cruel to Budha Shankhari. All that is left for this old and feeble bangle seller is loneliness and solitude. So, when the young wife of the zamindar asks him to mould asmaan tara bangles for her, Budha Shankhari gives his blood, sweat and tears to forge beautiful bangles, just as directed by the zamindar’s wife.

But destiny again has something bitter in store for Budha Shankhari. On reaching the zamindar’s place with the new, beautiful and vibrant bangles he finds they will not be needed any more. The young zamindar girl who he had once met is now a widow, barred from wearing any adornments.

Based on Budha Shankhari, a famous narrative of Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra, a cultural forum of the city, Samskritiki, staged the play at Rabindra Mandap on Sunday evening.

Directed by Sukanta Rout, the play sensitively puts across the messagethat man has no control over his fate. Budha Shankhari, who sees his dead daughter in the face of the young zamindar wife, toils day and night to mould her favourite bangles just to see a smile light up her face. For the old bangle seller, the joy that would have appeared on the girl’s face on seeing the bangles would be the best price paid for his work.

“The idea was to recreate the magic woven by Kantakabi Laxmikant Mohapatra. Nowadays, because of television and films, people seem to lose interest in plays and my sole intention is to revive this classic medium. And what better way than a classic novel,” says director Sukanta Rout.

The story is a touching tale woven with great sensitivity by writer Laxmikanta Mohapatra. The director, too, has tried hard to evoke human sensitivities with the same degree of passion, but unfortunately, fails to do so. The actors in the play seem to fumble with the lines and low audibility makes viewing uncomfortable for the audience.

The protagonist, however, does a good job as the frail Budha Shankhari. The slackened presentation of the script is the biggest drawback of the play.

“I was really excited about the play, as it is based on one of the most famous stories we have read and re-read during our childhood. I wanted to watch it in action. The actors have done justice to their roles. I enjoyed it thoroughly,” said viewer Trupti Padhi.