‘Mahabhoj’ showcases political reality in villages

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BHUBANESWAR: The fourth day of ‘Purva Ranga-2019’, a national theatre festival, was marked by staging of a play ‘Mahabhoj’ by artistes of Natrang from Jammu and Kashmir at Rabindra Mandap here Tuesday.
The story of the play revolves around a village ‘Saroha’ in Uttar Pradesh. The play is political as it is set at the time of by-elections. A zamindar burns all the houses of Harijans residing in the village as they try to raise their voice against his atrocities.
9 innocent people die in that incident. Bishu, a fiery young man collects all the evidences against the Zamindar and local political leaders get ready to lodge a complaint against him in New Delhi. However, due to pressure exerted by middle-men, Bishu gets arrested and is tortured by the Police. He dies in Police custody.
The media sensationalises the issue which creates chaos in Saroha Village. After Bishu, his friend Binda speaks out against corrupt politicians and the zamindar. However, he ends up in jail too. Some honest government officials come out to help keep the protest alive. Nevertheless, Harijans are troubled further.
Through the drama, the director has depicted a sorry state of affairs in our political system. He has showcased how righteous people fall into the trap of corrupt officials. “The time to change the system is already upon us. If we do not act now, the whole political system would be uprooted violently,” said Balwant Thakur, Director.
The play was enacted by some eminent theatre personalities like Dhira Mallick, Manoj Patnaik, Lala Biren Ray and Haren Sahoo.