A play Aw aa ee being staged at the theatre festival at Bhanja Kala Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 12: Contemporary social issues took centre stage at the 10th edition of Panchamaveda’s annual state-level theatre festival.

On Monday evening, Rourkela-based theatre troupe Sankalpa staged the play Surjyastara Sati.

The play highlights the plight of the victims of MMS scandals. Sarita, essayed by artiste Madhusmita Rout, is like any normal girl, who has doting parents.

She aspires to become an engineer. Sarita falls in love with a guy and they even consummate their love. Everything is perfect in her life till the day Sarita finds out her boyfriend has circulated her nude pictures all over the Internet. Her parents cannot take the humiliation and commit suicide. She, too, goes to the sea to die but is saved by a fisherman named Keshu.

Sarita is overwhelmed by the affection of Keshu and his father. The old man even fixes up for their marriage, but as destiny would have it, Keshu gets trapped in a sea thunder and gets lost, and his father loses his mental stability. Sarita looks after the old man, who takes every guy for Keshu. Goons of the fishermencolony see it as an opportunity to harass Sarita.

On one occasion, Suryaprakash, a professor and scholar played by actor Prakash Sahani, researching on the lives of fisherman, gets trapped in the colony due to downpour and seeks shelter from Sarita.

As the rain refuses to ebb, Suryaprakash strikes up a conversation with Sarita and gets to know her story. He explains Sarita not to spend her life in a rut and work for a better future. He explains that a body can be hurt, but the soul must not be defeated.

Penned by Pravakar Patra, the play was directed by Chitta Rana. Sarat Chandra Dhal scored the music and Asim Basu designed the set.

Last evening, Dhenkanal-based Charlie Chaplin Cultural Club presented a play titled Aw aa ee meaning “the beginning”. Written and directed by Dinesh Dash, the play speaks about how a man tries to take advantage of every situation. It narrates the callous yet very innate instinct of undertakers, who put a price tag on the cremation ceremonies.

“The festival is staging some unnerving plays and that should be the aim of every theatrical drama,” said Gagan Mishra, a viewer.

The five-day festival is going on at Bhanja Kala Mandap.