Ranga Shankar's BEEDIYOLAGONDU MANEYA MADI Is Back This World Theatre Day

By: Mar. 20, 2019
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Ranga Shankar's BEEDIYOLAGONDU MANEYA MADI Is Back This World Theatre Day Beediyolagondu Maneya Maadi in a satirical and a humorous vein comments on the degenerating nature of religious festivals and disproves traditional dogma in a realistic setting. The occasion is the much celebrated Ganesh Chathurti right in the thick of Pune's middle-class, Maharashtrain-Brahmin dominated locality where the protagonist, Shreepad and his wife Sukanya have come to an agreement that every alternate year the razzmatazz of the Ganesh Chathurti will not disturb the sanctity of their home which in simple terms mean, no celebrating the festival and not even allowing its slightest sound or whiff to penetrate their house.

Despite Sukanya's minor complaints all seems to go well until Shreepad's old aunt, her son and daughter-in-law unexpectedly turn up with their infant son with the solitary intent of watching the procession. The aunts voracious desire to witness the procession and Shreepad's staunch refusal to allow her to do so sets the tone of this humorous and remarkably pertinent play. As aunt and nephew take turns to explain each others situation with the aunt often scheming with the others to sneakily see the procession, the plot thickens.
Shreepad's logical, reflective and philosophical rationalizations are balanced by the more immediate necessity of the situation that is both habit and religion driven. The processions approaching tenacity becomes a barometer for the muted tension that the characters begin to reel under and resonate the fallacious arguments of the brigade. The play also successfully evokes the mores of a middle-class, Kannada household as everybody await the final outcome of the battle of ideologies.

Mohit Takalkar is the recipient of the Shankar Nag award 2015, awarded by Ranga Shankara every year. Shankar Nag was an example of an ideal "rangakarmi". He had the capacity to direct, act, write and garner people around to dream with him. The Shankar Nag Award is a national prize conferred to an all-rounder in the field of theatre, below the age of 40, who embodies service to the larger vision of theatre in India. Instituted in 2014, the award constitutes a citation and carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. The recipient also gets to direct a play produced by Ranga Shankara for Ranga Shankara.

Mohit Takalkar work has emerged as one of the finest Indian theatre directors of his generation. He has directed more than 20 full-length plays, demonstrating an ability to make audiences view new dramatic texts as if they were classics, and traditional performance idioms and mythological themes as if they were contemporary. His professionally mounted productions have been admired for their technical finesse and arresting visual design. Mohit is a fresh and influential voice in Marathi theatre also for giving new meaning to the word 'experimental'. For too long, theatre in Marathi has been called 'experimental' merely for engaging with serious themes in opposition to commercial theatre. Mohit, however, is rare in being a genuinely risk-taking director, who has worked with a spirit of adventure to extend the language of theatre in India. Equally notable are Mohit's endeavours, as the Artistic Director of Aasakta Kalamanch in Pune, to support the aspirations and nurture the talent of a younger group of directors. In this he has shown that his passion for drama extends beyond his own artistic ambitions to embrace a deep concern for the future of meaningful theatre in India.

Based on the Marathi play Dhol Tashe
Translated by: Sripathi Manjanabail
Adapted By: S. Surendranath
Directed by: Mohit Takalkar

On: 27th March, 7:30 pm
Venue: Ranga Shankara.

Tickets priced Rs. 150
Tickets are available at Ranga Shankara and www.bookmyshow.com.



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