After a gap of nearly half-a-century, historical play Andha Yug will be staged once again against the backdrop of the ancient Feroz Shah Kotla fort, a heritage monument, from October 15 to 19.
An anti-war play, Andha Yug (The Blind Age) was first staged at the venue way back in 1962 by renowned theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi. This time round, the Sahitya Kala Parishadis staging the play penned by noted playwright Dharamvir Bharati after Partition.
A significant play of modern India, it has been staged by numerous directors in various Indian and even foreign languages.
Set against the backdrop of the Feroz Shah Kotla, the play will be presented by Bhanu Bharti, an innovative theatre director and playwright. Mr. Bharti, who directed this play in Nepal in the local language in 1998, says this time round he has tried to unravel why human beings have failed to take lessons from history and continue to engage in war and bloodshed.
“My play has acquired a new meaning as I have explored the reasons that force people to take up arms. To find a connection with contemporary times, I have made some changes in the play. It has become more purposeful and serious now.”
Mr. Bharti says the play is an allegory of the pathos and feeling of hopelessness experienced by millions around the globe as violence and hatred have seeped deeply into the social fabric of various countries. “Though its pretext is that of the historical events that occurred during the Mahabharata war, it accurately captures the sentiments of loss as felt by both the victim and the victor in modern times too.”
Considering the importance of the play, eminent theatre and television personalities will be seen playing the characters of the five-act play.
Veteran Bollywood and theatre actor Om Puri will give the voice-over for Krishna's character. Theatre personalities like Mohan Maharishi as Dhritarashtra; Uttara Baokar as Gandhari; TV and film actor Zakir Hussain as Sanjay and Govind Pandey as Kripacharya will be acting in the play.
According to Parishad secretaryShekhar Vaishnavi,the play is being staged at the fort to popularise Indian theatre among the younger generation. “Ebrahim Alkazi staged this play against the backdrop of a medieval monument.”
Describing Andha Yug as a classic play, Mr. Vaishnavi said it beautifully outlines the fact that every act of violence inevitably debases not just the affected individuals but the society at large.
