Written by Rajendra Dhasmana in 1986, Ardhgrameshwar play enacted dextrously in LTG theatre with audience glued to their seats. Kudos

SUNIL NEGI

An interesting play written by a leading intellectual of Uttarakhand, eminent thinker and writer Rajendra Dhasmana in 1986 was enacted by High Hillers group in LTG theatre , Copurnicus Marg at Mandi House in the presence of good number of theatre lovers , artists, journalists, social activists and audience from Delhi and NCR.

The play started with the lightening of the lamp by distinguished personalities of Uttarakhand in Delhi like Sushila Rawat, director, Sunil Negi, senior journalist, Dr. Vinod Bacheti, political leader, Sushma Jugran Dhyani, senior journalist , Satish Kaleshwari, theatre activist, Rajendra Chouhan, musician, Manoj Ishtwal, senior journalist, Sanjay Joshi, advisor to CM Madan Mohan Sati, Charu Tiwari, Suresh Nautiyal, senior journalists leading entrepreneur and producer of Ghangtaul, General secretary of Garhwal Hiteshini Sabha Pawan Maithan, Bitto Upreti and several others.

The leading theatre activist of Uttarakhand with his career spanning more than forty years having also worked in several Uttarakhand films in different roles , a versatile veteran Uttarakhand actor Khushal Singh Bisht was honoured with a prestigious shiromani award, received by Rakesh Gaur, as the eminent Uttarakhand actor was at his home town with some important unavoidable work.

The play full of interesting anecdotes primarily exhibits the hilly region’s life style , daily chores and the migration from villages to plains including imposing an unfriendly development on the hilly region by those having migrated to cities. The play is full of humour and interesting anecdotes.

The issue of migration is not the problem of the days when this play was written but but is gaining ground since long as people had been migrating to plains for their survival.

The way people left their villages for employment to plains for their survival similarly the migration is still continuing in Uttarakhand rather multiplying enormously.

This migration that started years ago has been very dextrously and with immense humour portrayed by Rajendra Dhasmana in pure Garhwali dialects 43 years ago, making everyone laugh and enjoy to the hilt with audience glued to their seats till the end.

This play “Ardh Grameshwar” has since been played in various theatres of Delhi, NCR, Uttarakhand and elsewhere number of times.

The dialogue delivery of all the actors and the acting was dextrous with tremendous command over the Garhwali dialects.

The play was able directed by Brjmohan Vedwal who also acted in the play with another actor Ramesh Thangriyal co directing it.

Those who acted in this play titled Ardhgrameshwar were : Brijmohan Vedwal, Satish Kaleshwari, Rakesh Gaur, Geeta Gusain Negi, Darshan Singh Rawat, Unita Dhasmana, Jagmohan Singh Rawat, Hari Semwal, Umesh Bandiini, Ramesh Thangriyal, Savita Pant, Anju Purohit, Ravindra Gudiyal, Shashi Badola, Dharmendra Prasad, Mahendra Singh Rawat, Bharat Singh Bisht , IP Uniyal, Kiran Rampal,Din Dayal Juyal and Lakshmi Juyal.

The music composer of this play were Rakesh Gusain, Sunder Singh, Dharmendra Prasad whereas the songs were melodiously sung by Kusum Bisht, Dhaneshwari Naithani , Kiran Rampal from the backstage.

The dances in the play were choreographed by actor Geeta Gusain Negi where as the dancers were : Laxmi Juyal,Savita Pant, Anju Purohit,Pushpa Devli, and Manju Bhatt.

The sound conductor was Aksh Rampal and the title songs were by Girdhari Rawat.

It’s worth mentioning that as the Ardhagrameshwar play began, a radio announcer broadcast, followed by the “Sera Mindoli folk dance” on stage.

After that, the narrator presented the play’s theme to the audience. The train journey from Najibabad to Kotdwar was then shown in which a unique character of that era, who has remained etched in the minds of almost all the travelers of the afore mentioned journey from that time till now, was Surdas Bharosi Lal , who was not only a folk singer but also an information center of entertainment.

For this small role, the director chose senior theatre personality Dr. Satish Kaleshwari. Dr. Kaleshwari played this small but important role with great intensity and tried to give a great boost to the play Ardhagrameshwar, taking everyone back to the memories of the seventies and eighties at Kotdwar railway station.

Kudos