Charity Show at Gurukul

Young Innovations Pvt. Ltd., an IT-Social company is going to organize charity drama show of “Tara Baji Lai Lai” at Gurukul, school of theater to support Blood Point Nepal, a humanitarian organzation on Jestha 19 2064 (June 2, 2007).Blood Point Nepal (BPN) is an not-for-profit organization which is workinga actively in the field of in the field of Fresh Blood Donation (FBD) keeping Donors stand by positions. It’s main goal is to provide the adequate fresh blood as per the demand in the national level jointly with Voluntary non-remunerated Blood Donors. Till date, BPN has provided more than 1,200 units of fresh blood, all donated by it’s 500 volunteer members, to needy patients during emergencies.

Every year Nepal faces shortage of blood. According to WHO standard, if a total of 2% population donates blood, there will be no shortage but only around a percent donates blood in Nepal. Nepal needs around 1,60,000 units of blood every year but in 2006, only 102,530-units of blood have been collected far short of WHO standard and it’s own need. In such situation, BPN is acting as ray of hope for many needy patients. But being volunteering organization, it’s becoming hard for BPN to continue it’s social activities and donating blood to save many patients.

Tara Baji Lai Lai, an improvisational play directed by Morten Crough is based on challenges we faced as children. Moreover, one can say this plays shows the realistic as well as the fantasy life of each individual’s childhood dreams and desires. Personal stories of actors enriched the development of the play.

Young Innovations has initiated the step to support BPN and help it continue its activities. Lets come together to make this event a grand success and show our solidarity. For tickets please contact 9841530659/98510073533.

Tarabaji Lai Lai : Reminiscence of chidhood/adolecences memories

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बाल्यकालको झझल्को अझै पनि बलियो बनेर यो मुटुमा रहेको छ । स्कुल जाँदाको किस्साहरु, साथीभाई सँग खेल्दाको क्षणहरु अनि सानो सानो कुरामा चित्त नबुझेर रिसाएको क्षणहरु अझै स्पष्टसँग यो आँखामा झलझली आइरहन्छ । कहिले काही जब म एक्लै हुन्छु … मन भारी हुन्छ तब वितेका ती रमाइला क्षणहरु सम्झिन्छु मन हलुको भएर आउँछ । तर विर्सने बानी भएर हो कि के हो कति कुराहरु भने विर्सिन्छु । तर हिजो गुरुकुलको नाटक ताराबाजी लै लै हेरिसकेपछि भने बाल्यकालको क्षण झनै बढेर आयो । कति विर्सेका कुराहरु पनि याद आए । पढाई हुँदा हुँदै सरलाई छलेर भागेको क्षण, क्लासमा प्रश्न सोध्दा नआएर लाज लागेका क्षणहरु अनि त्यो लाजलाई हाँकमा बदलेको क्षण… धेरै कुराहरु चित्र झै झलझली याद आयो …नाटक हेरिन्जेल र हेरिसकेपछि पनि ।

साँच्चिकै ताराबाजी लै लै हेरिसकेपछि जिवनलाई फेरी एकपटक फर्केर हेर्न मन लाग्छ । यस नाटकको विशेषता हो कि यसको प्रत्येक पात्रमा दर्शकले आफुलाई कुनै न कुनै रुपमा महसुस गर्छ । कहिले आफुलाई भोला झैँ सोझो पात्रको रुपमा देख्छ जसको सोझोपनको फाइदा अरुले उठाइरहेका हुन्छन् वा कहिले के । पहिलो पहिलो प्रेमको स्मरण सँगै प्रेमलाई हेर्ने आफ्नो नजर पनि त्यहाँ महसुस गर्छ दर्शककले । बालापनको निर्दोषन किशोरअवस्थाको रमाइलो क्षणहरु अनि तन्नेरी भइसकेपछिको विपरित लिङ्गी तर्फको आकर्षण (यहाँ विवाद आउला कि?) सबै विस्तारै सम्झिदै जान्छ ।

सुरुवातको काठमाण्डौ ब्लुज गीत र काठमाण्डौको वातावरणको दृष्य साँच्चिकै मनमोहक थियो ..... निकै सरल र वास्तविक पनि । पात्रहरु एकदम वास्तविक देखिन्थे र कुनै कृत्रिमता त्यहाँ थिएन । लाग्थ्यो उनीहरु आफ्नो कथा आफै भनिरहेका छन् र सँगसँगै आफ्नो वितेको जिवनलाई पनि सम्झिरहेका छन् । निर्देशकको अब्बलता र सोचाइ निकै नै उत्कृष्ट छ र सानो ठाउँलाई थोरै सामानको प्रयोग गरेर १० वर्षको अन्तराल देखाउन सक्नु उनको र सहभागी सबै कलाकारहरुको विशेषता मान्नुपर्छ । उनीहरुको बालसुलभ व्यवहारको प्रस्तुति साँच्चै नै उत्कृष्ट थियो ।

थाहा छैन यो विशेषता हो कि गुरुकुलको, जे कुरालाई पनि एकदमै मज्जाले दर्शकको भावसँग मिलाउनु वा त्यसलाई टपक्क टिपेर कथा बुन्न सक्नु । ताराबाजी लै लै गुरुकुलको अर्को यस्तै उत्कृष्ट नमुना हो । भनिन्छ जीवनलाई कसरी हेर्ने हेर्ने व्यक्तिको आँखामा भर पर्छ रे खुशी भएर हेर्यो भने जीवन रमाइलो लाग्छ रे तर दुःखी भएर हेरे साह्रै पिडादायक देखिन्छ रे । सायद साँच्चिकै यो कुरा साँचो हुन सक्छ । तारावाजी लै लै हेरेपछि त्यस्तै अनुभव भएर आउँछ ।
धन्यवाद ताराबाजी लै लै लाई मेरो बाल्यकाल र विद्यार्थी अवस्थाको झझल्कोलाई पुन एक पल्ट याद गराइदिएकोमा ।

Revisiting Nora: Putaliko Ghar

Last time when I met Nora, she was waiting for bus to go to her parent's home. She had just left Hemanta, her husband. She had realized that above all she's human first then only someone's wife, someone's mother etc. I was left with question that why she had left Hemanta. After all he had realized his mistake. She should have forgiven him and stayed with him happily.

I got another chance to revisit her and see her full story from the beginning. She was living happily with her 3 kids and husband, Hemanta. He cares her very much and calls her "Meri Maina Chari". He loves her much. She shares her everything to hemanta except one thing. She has one secret which only she knows until she shares with her friend, Leena Bista. She has taken loan from Kedar Adhikari, a lawyer with dreadful past, to save her husband. Kedar had done forgery and to save himself from law, had done another morally unacceptable works. Doctor had advised Nora to take Hemanta away to Madesh otherwise he wouldn't live. She couldn't get money from anyone and at last has taken loan from Kedar. But he had one condition that is she must have her father's signature as witness. But before she could take her father's signature, her father died. So she made forgery signature to take loan. She has been paying regularly but destiny has something in her store. Hemanta has been made manager of bank where Kedar works. Hemanta and Kedar are school friends but because of Kedar's past. So he fires him and Kedar uses Nora's secret to reinstate him. Nora now falls in great problem. She fears if her husband knows then he would die to save her but she doesn't want that. She wishes to die rather than see him in problem. But when Kedar's letter reaches Hemanta, everything is opposite. He becomes too scared about his social status and when Nora tries o explain why she had to take loan, he doesn't listen. For him, she has done great mistake. He decides they can't be together as husband and. For social fear, he cannot send her out of home. Social prestige and status is greater for him rather than his wife's love. But later when Kedar sends another letter stating he won't tell this to anyone and wants to close the chapter, Hemanta becomes very happy. Now he realizes he's safe, so again he wants Nora to be with him. But Nora has seen and understands that she has been living together with stranger for past 8 years. For the first time they become serious and sit together to discuss. He had treated her as his doll, a possession, material property, a thing that can only speak and act strictly as per his command and desires. She searches dignity, humanity and love in her husband but for her but there's none. He had prevented any opportunity for her to realize her potentials as an individual. She has woken up from dream. She realizes she has been wrong in one of her most cherished hopes and beliefs, the belief that her husband would sacrifice his honor at least when he realizes how much she has sacrificed her honor, dreams, and life. So she leaves him.

I don't know how justifiable is Nora's exit but when I saw her and tried to feel her putting myself in her shoes, I find her decision a right one. Relationship is not just about supporting each other in happy times, but also lending arms in sour times. Marriage is that string which joins two souls together. There should be respect, love, tenderness, faith, trust etc. for each other. But in Nora's case I feel there's none. Hemanta had treated her as doll only with whom he can play whenever he wanted. There's no liberty for her. She's lost in doll's house. May be people might question what kind of mother she is, but still deep somewhere I feel she did right thing. I may sound feminist, but searching own identity is not feminism. If Hemanta has left Nora like this, people wouldn't have had problem. See the story in different angle. Not from "the glass is half full" ideology but from "glass is half empty" then may be it would make sense.

This play is adapted from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House but with Nepali. There have been intense debates about her exit. People in Europe especially Germans couldn't digest the ending and made their own version. Even dramatist Henrik Ibsen had to rewrite another version with happy ending but later he regretted.

There are numbers of Nora in our Nepali society. Some dares to live like her some don't. Have you seen her lately? What's she's doing? If so please don't forget to write.

And how do you feel about her exit? Is it justified? Please comment.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Guruku everyday till February 12 at 4.30 pm. Be there to taste the Theater experience.

Dreams of Mayadevi: blending dreams with reality

Mayadevi is simple mother who is waiting for her son Siddhartha a.k.a. Kale to return home who has gone lost six months ago. She lives alone in her home and there's another character, Lahure who respects Mayadevi as sister and protects her. She talks with her own shadow and with birds. She had only read about wars in letters sent to her when her husband died in foreign war. Lahure and her husband both had gone to war, but Lahure returns being amputee and her husband died there. Lahure had come home seeing enough war but the war doesn't leave him. Battle is raging in his own jungles and people are killing their own brothers or neighbors or someone they know. Mayadevi says, "It's easy to run in moonlight but difficult to hide". She time and again talks about moon and points toward the war. Then a man of her son's age comes to her house asking refuge for night. She lets him in and sees her own son in him. Seeing her pain, the man takes her to the battleground where people are dying and groaning and grumbling in pain. She searches her son but he's not there. Both of them return home. She cannot forget the pain, fear and shouts. Then she sees a dream, in dream she becomes Mayadevi, mother of Lord Buddha. She is going to her matriarchal home. But on the way, she feels labor pain. She gives birth to Siddartha and feels the ultimate happiness. She tries to hold her son but he runs leaving behind lotus petals. She wakes up and finds herself at home, looking at the young man. Then 2 people enter her house and takes away young man forcefully. Then she heard her Kale's voice. She tries to stop him but he goes away. The drama ends her saying, "Mother is happy to know that you are alive, Kale! May flowers bloom with your every step too, my son!"

Dreams of Mayadevi is simple yet powerful drama which connects the story of past and present, war and peace, dreams and reality and above all a tale of mother's love. She had hoped her son would be Siddartha, preacher of peace but reality is different. Lahure knows war doesn't help anyone because he has seen the destruction but he's also helpless. Mayadevi and Lahure present the state of people who are forced in war and are enduring pain. They want it to stop but couldn't do anything. Before they used to play in jungles but all are only memories now. Now in full moon only jungle can be seen, not pain, death, war it hides. Dreams of Mayadevi is full of metaphor and similes. This drama shows the young people who are facing identity crisis and fighting absurd war. Mayadevi dreams of peace and happiness but alas, it's her dream only.

Every character is flawless. Professor Dr. Abhi Subedi has written this play with so supreme command, and he has successfully captured the intensity of conflict. Use of moonlit night and darkness has created surrealistic effect. Directorial command is superb. Design of stage is simple yet powerful. Use of lights, music and themes are wonderful. Clearly a masterpiece.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Gurukul everyday till February 12, 2007. Don't forget to be there and taste the dramatic enjoyment.