 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 3: Natrang, a prominent theatre group, delighted theatergoers with its latest production, 'Commission,' written by the renowned Saadat Hasan Manto and skillfully directed by Neeraj Kant. The play, featured as part of Natrang's weekly theatre series 'Sunday Theatre,' offers a side-splitting exploration of satire, shedding light on a modern-day emperor's antics in the age of social media and his penchant for deflecting responsibility through the formation of endless commissions.
The story unfolds within the modern courtroom of this contemporary emperor, flanked by his two loyal head butlers. The emperor, portrayed as a satirical character, boasts about his improbable achievements, including fostering harmony between goats and lions in his kingdom to quell their historical hostilities. Despite his apparent success in this peculiar endeavor, the emperor's personal life, particularly his relationship with the empress, is far from rosy.
A twist in the plot emerges when a 'Fariyadi' (complainant) arrives seeking justice for his workers, who fell victim to the archery practice of the empress's sevikas in an open area. Seeing an opportunity to evade accountability, the emperor promotes his head butlers to ministers and assigns them the task of investigating the matter and delivering a comprehensive report. After a protracted two-month process, the newly appointed ministers present a mammoth report of one lakh words to the emperor. In a satirical turn of events, the emperor, upon learning of the massacre, ludicrously declares himself superior to Emperor Jahangir and dismisses the relevance of his own philosophies in the modern era. However, he still commands the beheading of all the girls involved in the incident but insists that a commission must be formed before justice can be served.
'Commission' is a riotous blend of humor and satire, with characters that are exaggerated caricatures of the Mughal era.
The talented ensemble cast includes Palshin Dutta, Chirag Anand, Abhimanyu Choudhary, Chaitanya Shekhar, Sumit Bandaral, and Sanket Bhagat. The play's lighting was expertly executed by Neeraj Kant, while the musical score was composed by Mehak Singh. Sushant Singh Charak masterfully presented the show to the audience, with coordination by Mohd. Yaseen.
'Commission' promises to be a theatrical experience that tickles the funny bone while offering a satirical commentary on contemporary issues through the lens of historical absurdity. Natrang continues to captivate audiences with its innovative and thought-provoking productions. |
