Srinagar, April 27: ‘Do Kalakaar’, a Hindi play written by Bhagwati Charan Verma and directed by Neeraj Kant, was staged at Natrang Studio as part of the weekly Sunday Theatre series. Although wrapped in layers of comedy, the play conveyed a poignant and highly relevant message, articulated with artistic finesse.
The story centres around two friends, Churamani and Martand — one a poet and the other a painter — who once dreamt of conquering Bollywood with their respective creative talents. The poet aspired to become a leading Hindi film lyricist, while the painter aimed to be the most sought-after art director of the tinsel town. However, destiny has other plans. Struggling to survive, they are forced to channel their creativity not into art, but into concocting elaborate stories and excuses to pacify their landlord, to whom they owe six months’ rent for their dingy room.
The play opens with the duo barricading themselves inside the room as the landlord arrives to collect the overdue rent. Despite their desperate efforts to keep him out, he eventually forces his way in. Cornered, the two friends turn to their creative instincts, weaving fantastical tales and lofty dreams in an attempt to convince the landlord to let them stay. They even paint a future where the modest room would be turned into a museum honouring the genius of great artists once harboured within its walls. However, faced with the stark contrast between their grand visions and their bleak reality, the landlord refuses to be swayed and evicts them, leaving them to confront further rejection and disillusionment. It is at this moment that both friends realise that, despite a civilisation spanning thousands of years, society still offers little space for true creativity to survive. The play was brought to life by brilliant performances from Aadesh Dhar, Mihir Gujral, Adaksh Bagal, Aryan Sharma and Kartik Kumar. The lighting for the production was expertly handled by Neeraj Kant, while coordination was managed by Mohd. Yaseen and presentations were conducted by Simran Bhagat.
