Bhubaneswar: On the third day of ‘Natya Lahari’, organized by Bidyakanak Srujjananusthan, a city-based cultural organisation, at Bhanja Kalamandap here, theatre lovers were treated to a poignant tale of love and sacrifice on Wednesday.
Rourkela-based theatre group ‘Natyamebah Jayate’ staged ‘Amar Gatha’, the 70-minute-long play that left audience entertained.
After the lighting the lamp ceremony attended by Mr Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Government of Odisha; Dr Chandra Sekhar Hota, Secretary, Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Prof Prasanna Kumar Swain, Vice Chancellor, Utkal University of Culture; Prof Purna Chandra Mallick, theatre personality, Dr Sanatan Pradhan, educationist and Dr Kanhu Charan Padhi, educationist, the curtains went up on a saga that tugged at heartstrings.
Set against the backdrop of 12th century, ‘Amar Gatha’ narrates the tragic love story of Kedar and Gouri. As their families oppose their love, they elope into forest. There a cruel twist of fate awaits them. Kedar finds Gouri’s blood-stained saree pieces and mistakes as she has been killed by a tiger. Heartbroken, he ends his life.
Gouri, alive and searching for him, finds his lifeless body. Stricken with grief she too embraces death.The sacrifices move King Lalatendu Keshari, who to immortalize their love, builds a temple and names it ‘Kedar Gouri temple’.
Interestingly, while the play spins a heart-rending tale, the narrative woven around Kedargouri Temple bears no historical connection to the shrine in Bhubaneswar. However, there is a legend in this regard. Many felt the fact should have been clarified for the audience beforehand.
Worth mentioning, a 15-day-long theatre workshop, organized jointly by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and Odisha Natya Sangha, was held in Rourkela on August 8. Debananda Nayak Soni was the workshop director. On August 22, the workshop participants staged the play ‘Amar Gatha’ at Civic Center in Rourkela.
The show at ‘Natya Lahari’ was their second show. Considering them being the debutant actors, they put up their heart and soul into the play.
They certainly proved that even greenhorns can steal the show when guided by passion and perseverance.
Writer and director Debananda Nayak Sony’s stamp of craftsmanship and ability to mould raw talents into convincing stage performers were evident from the word go.
On the stage:
Mani: Pradipta Ray
Kanchan: Laxmipriya Sahu
Kedar: Sourav Mishra
Gouri: Babita Mohanty
Samaraketu: Pratap Nayak
Bajrabahu: Subham Samantaray
Queen Indumati: Barsha Priyadarshini Rout
Tiger: Prem Nag
Pingala Maharaj: Bhishma Nrayan Swain
Maluni: Mushkan
Villagers: Smarak Anurag, Subhasmita Mohanty, Swabhiman Bhoina, Anjali Singh, Bhaskar Chandra Sahoo, Pari Singh, K Shriya and Aisharya Mohanty
Off the stage:
Writer & Director: Debananda Nayak Soni
Asst Directors: Sai, Sidhanta
Light Designer and Costume: Rakesh Satapathy
Music: Satya Majhi
Stage craft: Trimurti
