After obtaining diploma in theatre from Madhya Pradesh School Of Drama in 2011, Vikas Bahari formed the Prism Theatre Society in Delhi in 2013 which has been presenting plays in Delhi as well as other parts of Hindi region regularly. Not satisfied with plays in Hindi, Vikas prefers to write himself dramas for his group. “Khidki”, which was presented under his direction recently at Kamani, gives us some broad view of his dramatic vision. The play depicts the agony of a young writer struggling to eke out a living in a harsh world in which compassion and love are hard to find.
“Khidki” is set in the ground floor of a multi storey building. A writer sitting in a chair, holding a pen, bending over papers placed on his desk. He is tormented by three problems — he is struggling against writer’s block, his dateline is approaching and he has to pay rent to his landlord. Somehow he manages to concentrate on writing. Entering an imaginary world, he sees the glimpses of a young girl through the window of his room. The girl lives in the nearby flat. Alone as he is, he wants to meet the young woman, talk to her and develop friendship. In his imaginary world, he meets with her. They have lively conversation. He comes to know that the girl is chasing her fickle lover who wants to get rid of her.
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Suddenly, he hears a loud knock on his door which awakes him to reality. To his pleasant surprise, he finds his short story is complete, ready to be dispatched to his editor right before the dateline and the remuneration will enable him to pay rent to his landlord.
Though the idea of dilemma of a writer lacking in inspiration at times is not an ingenious one, Vikas has written the play in a cohesive manner, weaving the story of a bold woman into the structure of main plot which deals with the struggle of writer. The unkempt room, scattered pieces of scrambled paper sheets and the stuffy ground floor in which the writer lives, symbolize that in a market dominated society, a writer is on the bottom of the social hierarchy. There are only two characters. The production could have left a deeper impact on the audience if it had been presented in an intimate theatre.
Jatin Sarna in the role of the creative writer aptly brings to his portrayal the dilemma of a writer struggling hard to eke out an existence. Priyanka Sharma as the bold young girl next door paints her character with subtle touches.
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Consummation of love
“Chidiya Aur Chand” is another recent play written and directed by Vikas which was staged by Prism Theatre Society at Shri Ram Centre. The playwright takes us to the world of young people in quest for consummation of their love. Their quest turns out to be a mirage.
The play opens with the interaction of two young people—a man and a girl. The man is a medical practitioner living in a metropolis. The girl loves freedom and hence attached to none. She hates conventional marriage. The doctor is fascinated by the girl, enjoying every moment of life. They feel as if they were living in the seventh heaven. Shocked, the doctor one morning discovers that his beloved has disappeared never to be found.
Unable to reconcile with his irreparable loss, the doctor settles in Shimla to be in tune with nature.
One of his patients tells the doctor about a mysterious young girl, impatiently searching for moon. Accompanied by his patient the doctor meets the strange woman who appears to be out of this world. She drinks, dances and is always in celebratory mood, inviting strangers to join her to become completely free from the anxieties of the world. In an intoxicated state, she looks at the moon, vast sky and twinkling stars.
The playwright seems to reflect an escapist vision. It is difficult for the audience to identify itself with the characters projected here which seem to live in an illusory state rather than the real world riven by social and economy dichotomy. In “Khirki”, there is dramatic conflict and its resolution but “Chidiya Aur Chand” has hardly any conflict. The characters do not talk about their past, they just live for the moment. At a time when society is facing crisis, it is civic duty of artists to mirror stark reality. One hopes Vikas' new play will be intellectually stimulating, socially relevant, exploring dramatic conflict.
Durgesh Kumar, one of the participants in the booze parties, Priyanka Sharma as the free-spirited lover of the doctor, Megha Mathur as the mysterious girl at Shimla and Vikas Bahari as the doctor are able to make their sketchily drawn characters lively.