 Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 13: Natrang once again brought laughter, satire and thoughtful social commentary to the stage this Sunday with a sparkling presentation of ‘Prem Visheshagya’, a popular satirical play written by the celebrated Hindi writer and satirist Harishankar Parsai. Presented under Natrang’s ongoing Sunday Theatre Series, the comedy had the audience in splits while simultaneously offering a sharp and thought-provoking commentary on contemporary relationships and youthful infatuation.
Speaking about the playwright, Natrang Director Balwant Thakur said that Harishankar Parsai, a recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, made an immense contribution to Hindi literature, particularly through his incisive and socially relevant satire. He added that after deliberately presenting a tragedy in the previous Sunday’s programme, Natrang chose comedy this week to offer the audience an evening of light-hearted entertainment, laughter and reflection.
The play was ably directed by Neeraj Kant, who also designed and executed the lighting, adding considerable visual energy to the performance.
‘Prem Visheshagya’ takes a humorous look at a generation increasingly fascinated by the idea of romantic love, often to the extent of making extreme sacrifices in its name. At the centre of the story is a self-styled ‘Love Guru’, who runs a clinic claiming to be the ultimate destination for people struggling with matters of the heart. He confidently takes on the most complicated relationship problems, only to find himself entangled in a romantic complication of his own.
The comic situation reaches its peak when a young woman approaches the Love Guru seeking help to get rid of a modern-day ‘Majnu’, who has sacrificed everything for her. While attempting to resolve her problem, the Love Guru himself falls in love with her, giving rise to a hilarious and ironic dilemma: who will treat the doctor when the doctor himself becomes the patient?
The performance kept the audience laughing throughout, with the actors effectively bringing out the humour, irony and absurdity embedded in Parsai’s writing. The crisp situations, witty exchanges and comic twists made it difficult for the audience to resist laughter at almost every turn.
Yet, beneath its humour, the play carries a strong social message, particularly for young people. It questions the tendency to confuse infatuation with genuine love and urges the younger generation to maintain a healthy balance between emotions and aspirations. The play subtly reminds youth that instead of losing themselves in imaginary, unrealistic and dreamy notions of romance, they should remain focused on their education, careers, personal growth and constructive goals.
With its perfect blend of comedy, satire and social relevance, Natrang’s presentation of ‘Prem Visheshagya’ proved once again that theatre can make audiences laugh while simultaneously encouraging them to think.
The brilliant Natrang actors who enlivened this hilarious comedy on stage included Pawan Verma, Mihir Gujral, Adesh Dhar, Damini Thakur and Lal Mohd. The presentations were done by Vanshika Salathia and the show was coordinated by Aryan Sharma. |
