Atamjit's play “Pooran”, which featured on the concluding day of the Punjabi Theatre Festival organised by Punjabi Academy, Delhi at Shri Ram Centre, gave the opportunity to the discerning theatre-goers and lovers of Punjabi theatre to revisit once again the work of one of the stalwarts of contemporary theatre world of Punjab whose plays are remarkable for complexity of dramatic structure, social concerns, imparting modern insight into the interpretation of characters in conflict with a hostile world. His plays have been translated into various Indian languages.Some of his plays seen in Delhi include “Main Taan Ik Saarangi Haan”, “Panch Nad Da Pani”, “Kamloops Deean Machhiaan”. No wonder, Atamjit has been honoured by a number of prestigious regional and national cultural bodies like Sangeet Natak Akademi and Sahitya Akademi for his contribution to enrich Indian theatre as a playwright. He returned his award conferred by Sahitya Akademi as a protest against prevailing atmosphere of intolerance that are threatening India's tradition of secularism and democratic way of life.
Directed by Keerti Kirpal, “Pooran” is a new interpretation and re-creation of legend of Pooran, who became the victim of his stepmother's consuming lust and her conspiracy against him. According to the folk legend an enraged father of Pooran, ordered that he be killed. However, he was saved by Guru Gorakhnath and is worshipped as a saint. In fact, we have seen on the Delhi stage plays based on incestuous desire of malicious stepmothers. The most noted play is “Phaedra” by Lucius Annaeus Seneca and two plays on Emperor Ashoka and his son Kunal written by Rameshwar Prem and Daya Prakash Sinha.
Recreating the tragic tale of Pooran and his stepmother Loona, Atamjit has set the dramatic action in contemporary situation and the characters are recognisable. Logically in a cohesive manner the story unfolds itself. The man has been separated from his first wife and his son Pooran from her, has been staying in US for a long time. After a few days Pooran comes and his father introduces him to his young wife, Loona. From the first meeting Loona is attracted to her young and handsome stepson Pooran. They frequently play the game of chess when the old man is away to attend his business. The stepmother engages Pooran in an amicable conversation with sexual overtones. He tells her about his activities in the US and his love for the theatre as an actor, mentioning his role of the young stepson in Eugene O’Neil's play “Desire Under the Elms” who has incestuous relation with his young stepmother. Loona listens to him with curiosity and pleasure. One evening Loona expresses her lust for him frankly. Pooran rejects her advances. Departing from the legend, the playwright gives the narrative a different direction. To provide psychological insight into these two characters, the playwright has devised a dialectical process. As people of Punjab are aware about two contradictory interpretations of the Pooran legend provided by poet Qadir Yaar and poet Shiv Kumar. According to the narrative of poet Qadir Yaar's Loona is a fallen woman, a debauch. In his verse play Shiv Kumar projects Loona as the protagonist and the victim of patriarchal society. Shiv Kumar's play has been seen in Delhi. In the dialectical polemics between the character of Shiv Kumar, poet Qadir Yaar and Pooran a new perspective is provided.
The production is aptly designed to make the play artistically harmonious. On the centre upstage are placed images of snakes, symbolising the terribly dreadful ambience. As soon as Loona enters and glances at the images, she is struck by an unknown fear. In a fit of frenzy, she breaks one of the images. The playwright has used the allegory of chess being played by Pooran and Loona, trying to use all the tricks of the game to win over the opponent. Loona is passionately attracted to Pooran and Pooran wants to escape from her web of deception. Unlike other stepsons in plays of this theme, Pooran informs about the act of seduction of Loona to his father and escapes his wrath and leaves his father's house, unharmed.
The subtle lighting by Gurnoor Singh, the realistic acting, the off-stage music creates the tense atmosphere, leading the action inexorably to a climax that is stunning.
The production is richly cast. Pawandeep Kaur as Loona, the young wife of an ageing man and disdainfully rejected by her stepson with whom she wants incestuous relation, strikes a note of genuine feeling of her humiliation, her anguish and her sense of revenge. The audience watches her portrait with the sense of sympathy and hatred. Happy Prince's Pooran is disarmingly frank, exuding youthful vivacity. Kamal Preet Kaur as the maid impresses the audience with her simplicity, sincerity and her folk wisdom to console her devastated employer Jagdeep Sandhu as Salwan, the ageing man devoid of power to resolve the crisis in his family creates the image that reflects moribund feudalism, a decaying force that treats woman as the commodity.
