THE HIMALAYAN TIMES (THT)-July15,2013
"COMMON MAN'S FRUSTRATION ONSTAGE"
The audience inside
the Mandala theatre,
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Anamnagar
were sitting on the
floor and steps on
July 14 as the hall was filled
with people who were there
to attend the National Music
and Drama Festival 2070 organised
by Nepal Academy
of Music and Drama.
The first day of the festival
staged Ulaar, a drama based
on Nayan Raj Pandey’s
acclaimed novel Ulaar under
the direction of Ram
Babu Regmi.
With the central character
Prem Laluwa (Rupak
Kharel) the director has
tried to show the pain
and sufferings of the
people living in the
Terai region.
The protagonist Laluwa
is an orphan who has a
horse and a cart as his only
possessions. He falls in
love with Draupadi
(Sanu Pandey), a sex
worker. She is frequently
exploited
by the police officers
and as her
business is not progressive
she even
thinks of migrating
to Dang.
Laluwa has many
ordeals to face. His
migration from Banke
to Kathmandu with a
hope to get compensation
from the minister Shantiraja
(Tanka Chaulagain), being
robbed in the city, the destruction
of his house,
stealing of his
cart... make one
realise problems
appear when least expected.
The entire story revolves
around Laluwa, his
love and the struggle he goes
through. And it ends with his
realisation of how the public
is used as puppets by politicians.
He also realises how
madhesis (people of
Terai) have been discriminated
in the society.
He returns to
his village with these bitter
truths, angst and frustration.
His angst and frustration
is depicted when he
throws his torn sandals
at Kathmandu.
The drama features
the everyday
life of people
living in Banke,
Nepalgunj. The
director has
beautifully presented
politicians
using common
people for
their vested
interests, which is
the basic theme of
the drama.
The intimate scenes between
Draupadi and Laluwa
is aesthetic. The love and intimacy
between the characters
is showcased as
love making and
the dim light
sets the tempo.
Curfew in Nepalgunj, religious
war between Hindus
and Muslims, the use of
derogatory word as marsya
are sufficient in the play to
show the hostility in terms of
religion and race. However,
the play misses to clarify —
what was the reason behind
the Hindu-Muslim war.
Though on a serious
theme, the play sees light
hearted moments which is
apt with good comic timing.
Pandey has been able to
give the perfect glimpse of a
sex worker. The make-up,
languages she uses, her hatred
towards the policemen
are carried out well.
Kharel in his ragged vest
and lungi is the perfect presentation
of a madhesi character.
He is able to present
himself as the character with
his madhesi dialects. His
performance makes the audience
sympathise with
him. Cameo by Chaulagain
as a writer and minister
however would have been
better if his voice
was audible.
However, the drama fails
to sync in different plots
making it confusing. Sub
plots in the drama are created
in such a way that audience
fail to recognise what
the story is about. Had the
sub plots been enforced, the
play would have been much
better. This national music
and drama festival will
showcase eight dramas from
various parts of the country
at three theatres Mandala,
Sarwanam, and Nepal Academy.
It will also feature different
musical presentations
from all the development regions
of the
country. The festival will be held
till July 15.
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