Bhubaneswar: The opening night of the 12th Shwetapadma Theatre Festival at Rabindra Mandap kicked off on a high note with ‘Ahamikara Jhada’, a play that drives home the truth that “pride goes before a fall.”
The festival is organised every year by Shwetapadma, one of the premier theatre groups in the state, founded by noted theatre personality Pradeep Biswal and some like-minded individuals in 2013.
Written by Dr. Prashant Kumar Biswal, deftly directed by Hrushikesh Mohapatra and staged by Abhilash Theatre, the production holds a mirror to society, revealing how ego, greed, and moral decay can bring a seemingly perfect life crashing down.
At the heart of the play is Dr. Samarendra, a celebrated physician who has allowed success to go to his head. His unethical ways of squeezing money out of fearful patients, coupled with his wife Sunanda’s extravagant lifestyle, paint a picture of a household built on shaky ground.
Their daughter, Tanmayee, yearning for a simple and honest life, falls in love with Dr. Ronak, a humble veterinary doctor and son of a farmer. But to her status-conscious father, this match is a bitter pill to swallow.
Considering his daughter’s marriage with a veterinary doctor will malign his reputation, Dr Samarendra objects his daughter’s decision and try all the means to separate them. Knowing that her father is behind all these things, Tanmayee attempts to end her life by hanging from the ceiling fan by is rescued in time.
Dr Samarendra realizes that ill-gotten wealth is nothing but a house of cards—and that true happiness doesn’t come with a price tag.
The performances are the backbone of this production. All the artistes did commendable job, but Biranchi Kumar Das as dr Samarendra delivered a layered portrayal, capturi9ng both arrogance and eventful remorse. Soumya Suman Mohanty shone as Tanmayee, bringing vulnerability and strength to the role, while Satya Swagat Mishra’s Dr. Ronak is sincere and grounded. Together, they keep the emotional graph of the play alive and kicking.
Director Hrishikesh Mohapatra deserves a pat on the back for his smart use of stage space—upstage, downstage, and everything in between. His staging choices keep the narrative fluid and engaging. Pratap Rout’s music blends seamlessly with the mood, while Trimurti Arts’ stage design sets the tone effectively.
The only fly in the ointment is the lighting design, which could use some fine-tuning.
A noticeable slip was the use of a red cross symbol on the clinic banner—an emblem legally protected for specific humanitarian and military uses; a Caduceus or Rod of Asclepius would have hit the nail on the head.
Although the story’s pace got a bit slower in the middle, it picks up speed towards the end, delivering a satisfying emotional crescendo.
Earlier in the evening, the theatre festival was inaugurated by Labour Commissioner Indramani Tripathy, former Income Tax Commissioner Manoranjan Panigrahi, president of Kalinga Natya Sangha Dhirendra Nath Mallik and advisor of Kalinga Natya Sangha Haren Sahoo.
On this occasion, Swetapadma Saraswat Pratibha Samman was presented to noted littérateur Dr Chandra Sekhar Hota and Mancha Jyoti Samman on theatre director Satya Narayan Jena.
With Ahamikara Jhada, the festival opened with a production that not only entertained but also drove its message home—sometimes the biggest storm we face is the one inside us.
On the stage:
Biranchi Das (Dr Samarendra), Dr Ramchandra Behera (Dukhishyam), Chitta Ranjan Satpathy, Purnananda Mohanty (Baba), Shyamaghana Maharana (Compounder Manas), Rama Prasad Debasharma (Patient), Bijay Bahali (Patient), Soumya Ranjan Jena (Unemployed Youth), Satya Swagat Mishra (Dr Ronak), Bibek Lal, Soumya Suman Mohanty (Tanmayee), Jamuna (Tanmayee’s friend) and Narmada Sethi (Sunanda)
Off the stage:
Playwright: Dr Prashant Kumar Biswal, Director: Hrishikesh Mohapatra. Asst Director: Biranchi Kumar Das, Music: Pratap Rout, Light: Bikash, Stage: Trimruti Arts, Costume & Makeup: Prashant Satpathy
