Jammu, May 04: Natrang presented a Hindi comedy play, ‘Aag Ka Tamasha’ in Natrang’s weekly Theatre series ‘Sunday Theatre’. The play has been written by Giriraj Sharan Aggarwal and directed by Neeraj Kant. A very well-conceived and structured play carried candid instances of comedy in its content and stage action, which received appreciation from the audience of different age groups.
The play opens in a busy market where a Policeman is shown looking for one Fakir Muhammad alias (Urf) Jhunjhuna Qawwal’s house. Even after inquiring from many people moving all over in the street, he fails to get any clue about his exact whereabouts, but eventually a man escorts him to Jhunjhuna’s house. Jhunjhuna Qawwal mistakenly thinks that Havaldar has come from the Police Station with an invitation for a commissioned Qawwali programme for that he starts demonstrating his entire repertoire of Qawwalis. The policeman gets engrossed in his poetry recitations and soulful Qawali renderings and forgets that he has come to pick him up. Later, the moment he remembers the purpose of his visit, he swings into action and drags him straight to the police station.
On reaching the police station, the sub-inspector tells Jhunjhuna that someone has filed a complaint against him alleging having set his Muftlal Beedi Store on fire which resulted in a loss of Lakhs of Rupees to him. On this Qawwal pleaded that the inspector has some misunderstanding, as his art works like a fire extinguisher and not sets things on fire. On this the proprietor of Mufatlal Beedi Bhandar is summoned, who accuses Jhunjhuna Qawwal for setting his Beedi store on fire as he was heard singing the entire night ‘Aah Laga Doonga’ (Will set on fire, will set on fire). Pleading further Jhunjhunas’s wife Bulbuli Begum informs that they were rehearsing a Qawwali that night whose lyrics were “Har Dil Mein Mohabbat Ki Hum Aag Laga Denge”. Meanwhile, Ahe ji, the poet of that Qawwali, is also summoned. Both Jhunjhuna Qawwal and Ahe ji are booked for a conspiracy for setting on fire the Muftlal Beedi Bhandar. While pronouncing the judgement, it was observed the ‘Love’ that Qawal and the poet are pleading is not found in contemporary times. Laws are made to punish and not to reward anyone for spreading the message of peace and love through artistic expressions. Natrang artists who presented a wonderful performance included Neeraj Kant, Pawan Verma, Mohd. Yaseen, Shivam Singh, Simran Bhagat, Vansh Pandotra, Aryan Sharma, Adaksh Bagal and Kartik Kumar. The lights of the play were designed and executed by Neeraj Kant whereas the presentations were done by Prerna Sharma.
