N.R. Nandi’s play Maro Mohenjadaro written three decades ago attracted audience for its title and concept in mirroring degeneration of morality in humans since Mohenjo Daro period. This play was presented by Rasaranjani in collaboration with Department of Culture at Ravindra Bharati last week as part of ‘World Theatre Day’ celebrations. Curiosity kicks up when a professor in sociology commences charting out who’s who among half a dozen important characters. He divides humans into rich and poor and then into sub-divisions. They become characters in the main drama, while the professor giving out his analysis intermittently. The drama that professor keeps in focus, harps on meanness of the rich and exploitation of poor. A dose of political drama too is added to this that intensifies the content. It showcased methods adapted in our elections with rich buying votes and punishing those who did not vote for him and also resorting to murders if necessary thus adding criminal angle.
The main characters are industrialist Kotiswarayya, his servant Bikshalu, middle class Parandhamayya, Bhushan, with revolutionary bent of mind, a doctor and a lawyer in the service of the industrialist making plenty of money but behaving like cats on the wall.
Mikkili Francis takes credit, both as actor playing the role of professor and director of the play. Mutnuri Kameswara Rao as Bikshalu, K. Nataraj as Kotiswarayya, Goparaju Ramana as Parandhamayya and Madhu as rebel Bhushan impressed. M.V. Kutumba Sarma as doctor and Susarla Kameswara Sarma as lawyer rightly underplayed their roles. Surabhi Prabhavati portrayed the two female roles of Tulasi and Janaki; agony of women being common. Yet Prabhavati could give characteristic difference to these two roles.
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Music score was by Sambasiva Rao, Stage-craft and lighting by Surabhi Umasankar and make-up by B.V. Rao went well with the production.