Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles at Gurukul…

And, Odepius Rex ‘s Tickets were selling like the hot cakes…that’s why I was disappointed Saturday…but not on Sunday….

Oedipus Rex begins with the city plagued..and people have gathered around his palace. Oedipus has been made King of Thebes in gratitude for his freeing the people from the presence of the riddling Sphinx. Since Laius, the former king, had shortly before been killed, Oedipus has been married to Queen Jocasta and has children with her.

Once again Thebes is in problem and people want Oedipus to rescue them. Creon, Queen Jocasta’s brother has been sent to God Apollo who return with the news that the cause of plague is because of criminal who has killed King Laius. Then a blind seer,Tiresias is called and he reveals that Oedipus is himself the killer…and is son of King Laius and husband to his own mother. In outrage and anger Oedipus  imposes on the penalty of exile  for the murderer of Laius.

Queen Jocasta, however says that King Laius had been killed by robbers years later at the junction of three roads on the route to Delphi.

Jaat Sodhnu Jogi Ko..

Fantastic !!!

WOW..I am spellbounded because I am laughing till today remembering the evidences of the drama I watched last Saturday. Such an wonderful representation of human predicament created in the form of laughter. A way the writer has presented himself and the director trying to make the audience think and think over the matter and contemplate I did the same.

In the introduction only it was said that the drama was very famous. At first I had thought seriously that this was a very serious. The issue was so much mind captivating. The wonderful dialogues and the wonderful characters make the play more and more interesting . The more you watch the play the more you feel energy for laughing. The more you get deep into it. You never know how the one hour went off.

The setting of the play at first Kathmandu city and after that a rural village. The protagonist of the play “Mai Narayan Gharti” played and splendidly potrayed by Sunil Pokherel is still in my mind. The expressive dialogues and the soliloquy of the character was really wonderful. The whole dramatic element was presented very much well. Everyone did their job very much nicely. Each character played by the actors was splendid.

Another Gurukul masterpiece , the paly made me contemplate. When we look at the plot of the play too it is based on the contemporary realities and its a beautiful picture of the contemporatry realities. How much a person longs for the Master Degree, how much he longs for the job and how much he does to save the job.

Its a struggle of a person for study, for job, for his post and ofcourse for money, for the name Professor. I found myself in the character because of facing same problem. Longing to study hard, finding job not for money but for myself. The longing for study, the longing for the Professorship…

Also the students of rural area their language and the traces of simple modernism in them the way they talk, the way the rural grown-ups are all very much protrayed beautifully.

Anyways it was a real treat to me. It was so fun watching the play. I am feeling wonderful now too. Remembering the play. I am palnning to go there again to watch it. Again feel the laughter again hear the people laughing freakly freely..the drama hall  with all the laughter.

Hats off to the all….the actors and also Mr. Sunil Pokhrel and yes the director Anup Baral.

“Reality Bites” at Gurukul

Contemplated !!!

I am feeling overwhelmed over the reality exposed there at Gurukul of Mithila, Janakpur in the form of a play “Woh Khali Muh dekhi che “where the “Dowry” has its roots deeply rooted in the society. No education too couldnot do anything, what can be done then. I am really contemplated. Few months back there was a news of a woman brutually brunt to death and the problem was dowry. Upto when female shall suffer…Being borned as female is a question now ?

The story is simple but it has exposed the harsh reality and exposed the real face of the society of Mithila, Janakpur. The play is simple about a family who has a daughter,Sita’s father Krishna decides to educate her and she gets the good education too. However a girl needs to get marry, and to marry huge amount of dowry is needed which the family cannot bear. This unbearable amount to be paid and to buy a husband for the daughter makes the father’s mind evil. So, when the daughter comes home saying she is bitten by an snake, father denies to look after her because he wants her to die and it is known by him only. Eventually she dies and play ends in a tragedy.

The human mind exposed in the drama is awesome. The character played by Sita’s father is beautifully potrayed. The emotions and feelings of the actors in the play not only the situation of tearfullness but also at the situation of happiness all are so much beautifully done. All the characters are acted so well that the whole play becomes such an beautiful piece of art. I cried at many times with the actors. The mental breakdown scene of the father is so awesome that I am overwhelmed.

The play thus became one of the best play I have ever seen because of the intensity of the emotions and feelings, the human mind, psychological aspect and condition when the problem related to money comes. The plot, characterisation, cultural potraits, customes,space and time management, human predicament, human sorrows, social parody, everything makes the play such a beautiful piece of art. The play is awesome.

Now, a small commentary over the social malpractices. I question to myself being Sita, Is being borned as a daughter such an sinful act ? Are we educated at last for getting married to a rich guy and then live in the domination forever. How many Sitas die every year, how many Sitas are exploiated as such, how many father loses his conscience as Sitas father, how many Sitas suffer like this.

The play urges for ending such malpractices in the society, so that so many like Sita can live life to the fullest, so that so many houses would not ruin as Sitas and so many father will not feel their daughter as a burden.

Awesome tragedy, it melted my heart. It was nice to see such an wonderful representation of human predicament. The real real reality of our country, our Sitas. Reality certainly bites. I felt a pang in my heart and I felt contemplated to the extent.

P.S. Reality Bites !!!!

Bade Bhai Sab & Bimar

Wonderful !!!

After a long interval I went there again, yes again to watch the play there at Gurukul. Thank god there was proper parking. Otherwise it would really have been hard for me to ride up there. I have longed a lot since the day I had known about the theatre festival to be happened; I had this misconception that the festival was only Nepali. After all the title is “Kathmandu International Theatre Festival”, how could I not understand the meaning “International”.

Gurukul beautifully decorated not like in the ordinary days, there were book stalls and I think music stalls. It was nice to find a book by Dr. Aruno Gupto which is an interpretation on Shrish Ko phul ( By Parijat) and Agni Ko Katha ( By Abhi Subedi ).

Yes I was alone, once again. I just flick through the book and the time came to enter. I am always proud to buy a 100 rupee ticket because I believe that much I can do as a contribution. There is no any difference I feel in a 25 rupee ticket which I can easily get by showing my id card and the hundred rupee one. But it’s my personal tribute.

The Plays-:

The play was wonderful. This is the first time that I have watched a Hindhi drama, and the first experience was really wonderful. I am telling this to every body that “I kept on smiling for a long time “.

The plot, characters, and action everything was so much fine and beautiful. All the characters were male and I wonder that all male play can be such a wonderful thing. However the director was a lady. The actors were so deep into the character that they look awesome acting there in the stage. The first one Bade Bhai Sab, was too good. The actors were playing the role of a child, creating childhood emotions and exposing their talent.

I must say the actors were brilliant. They didn’t miss anything. The real looking characters, the dialogues the ego problems..etc etc..all was awesome.

The story of two brothers in Bade Bhai Sab, their problems related to study, the seriousness and the easiness, the flying of kite. The natural acting..the actors deep into character..such an wonderful piece of art. I really felt happy to see a different play.

Another “Bimar” a farce…it made me laugh, laugh and laugh continuously, uncontrollably. But it was serious, that serious a part must not be avoided. However comic and actions the play the issue was serious. How we lack confidence not to believe in ourselves and believe in others ? The play though about sickness, gives us sense that we want everything to be good and in this search for goodness we don’t hear our inner voice which would guide us more thatn anything wlse but we are always in temptation to hear others and their we fail. The final state of the person who was sick is really bad….though we all laughed at him because of his crazyness, it was his mental breakdown.. the most serious..

Finally I got refreshed …It was refreshing..laughter producing..I loved everything about the play.. and Gurukul..it Rocks…