National Theatre Festival – Day 2:Romeo Juliet In… represents darker side of Smart Cities

Bhubaneswar: Vihaan Drama Works, a theatre troupe from Bhopal Tuesday evening presented a Hindi play Romeo Juliet In Smart City Of Contemporary India on the second day of National Theatre Festival Purba Ranga here at Rabindra Mandap.

Written by Swapnil Jain, the play was designed and directed by Sourabh Anant. In play, Sourabh wanted to send a message that many cities in India are turning into smart cities but the same can’t be said about the mindset of the city dwellers.

Romeo Juliet In Smart City Of Contemporary India is about the love story of two small-towners Mradul and Vaibhavi. They fell for each other after starting their work in the same office in Jaipur, Rajasthan. They want to meet as often as possible. But where to meet?

Though they live in a Smart City, people don’t accept their relationship. Moreover, they frequently interfere in the young couple’s private life. Frustrated, the love birds decide to end their lives.

The play represents the face of a society which only wears a mask of smartness, said Sourabh.

Subham Katiyar, Shweta Ketkar, Ankit Paroche, Akash Ikhare and Shubham Parashar played key roles in the play, added the director who is also a painter and Bachelor of Fine Arts.

The guests who graced the evening included Principal Commissioner of Income Tax Manoranjan Panigrahi, OTDC Chairperson Srimayee Mishra, playwright and litterateur Sanghamitra Mishra and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary Prabodh Kumar Rath. Natya Chetana founder Subodh Pattnaik conducted the meeting.

Three more Hindi plays will be staged over the next three days of the festival, said vice-president Prakash Maharana of Odisha Natya Sangh. Seagull Theatre of Assam will present Kamaladevi directed by Smt Bhagirathi Bai while Actor’s Repertory Theatre of Delhi will stage Nagin Tera Vansh Badhe on the fourth day. The play will be directed by Avtar Sahni. Happy Ranajit of Unicorn Actors Studio of New Delhi will direct Suraj Ka Saatwan Ghoda on the last day of the festival, informed Maharana.