Jammu: The Natrang Studio Theatre here was abuzz with theatre lovers on August 16 as Natrang presented Sagar Sarhadi’s Hindi play ‘Yeh Kaun Aaya’, as part of its weekly theatre series, ‘Sunday Theatre’.
The performance left the audience rooted to their seats from the first scene to curtain call, drawing warm appreciation and thunderous applause.
Introducing the playwright, Natrang director Padma Shri Balwant Thakur recalled that Sagar Sarhadi was a celebrated screenwriter who penned popular Bollywood films including ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, ‘Silsila’, ‘Noorie’, ‘Bazaar’ and ‘Doosra Aadmi’. He also mentioned that Sagar Sarhadi had visited Natrang in 2005 and expressed his desire to see his plays staged by Natrang under its ‘Sunday Theatre’ series. More than two decades later, Natrang had the honour of presenting one of his plays, fulfilling that long-cherished association.
‘Yeh Kaun Aaya’ is a light-hearted yet thought-provoking family comedy that revolves around family relationships, misunderstandings, marriage and the changing attitudes of the younger generation.
With a generous dose of humour and everyday domestic situations, the play explores how love, affection and mutual understanding can bridge the generation gap and bring a family closer.
The story revolves around Shyamlal and Rajkumari, a middle-class couple eagerly awaiting the marriage of their younger brother, Paresh. Their quiet domestic routine takes an unexpected turn when a young woman, Neeta, suddenly arrives at their home and introduces herself as Paresh’s wife.
The revelation leaves the couple stunned, as Paresh has neither informed them about the marriage nor introduced Neeta to the family.Initially suspicious, Shyamlal and Rajkumari mistake Neeta for an intruder and even suspect that she may have come to steal their belongings.
However, Neeta’s warmth, affection and pleasant disposition gradually win them over. Her loving words about Paresh and her admiration for his brother and sister-in-law create a series of humorous and emotionally engaging situations.
The confusion intensifies when Paresh finally arrives. Shyamlal and Rajkumari confront him about his alleged secret marriage, only to discover that Neeta has deliberately planned the surprise.
Paresh reveals that he had hesitated to bring Neeta home because he feared she might find it difficult to adjust to his family’s simple lifestyle. Neeta, however, had decided to win the family over through love, affection and understanding.
The play concludes on a warm and humorous note when Shyamlal and Rajkumari realise that Neeta is neither a thief nor the “magician” they had imagined her to be, but a loving, intelligent and thoughtful woman who has successfully won their hearts.
Blending comedy, emotion and keen social observation ‘Yeh Kaun Aaya’ delivers a simple yet powerful message: love, understanding and affection can knock down the walls of difference and transform a house into a happy family.
The thunderous applause that followed the performance was a fitting testimony to the play striking the right chord with the audience.
While Neeraj Kant’s deft direction and keen eye for detail were evident in every scene, he succeeded in creating an atmosphere stepped in emotion while keeping the audience rooted to their seats from beginning to end.
The artistes, too, pulled out all the stops to breathe life into their characters.
The play was presented by Palshin Dutta, Vrinda Gujral, Mihir Gujral, Aryan Sharma, Narinder Verma and Khushboo Pandita. Neeraj Kant executed the lighting, while Aadesh Dhar scored the music.
