‘Piano Vaadak’ strikes a chord at Natrang studio theatre

Jammu, June 29: ‘Piano Vaadak’ (Piano Player), a Hindi play based on a short story by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, dramatised by Satyendra Sharat and directed by Neeraj Kant, was staged today at Natrang Studio Theatre as part of its weekly Sunday theatre series. The emotional and intellectually rich play was thoroughly appreciated by the audience, serving as a fitting antidote to the chill of one of the coldest days in the city.In a statement issued here, the play sensitively depicted the humiliation and neglect faced by artists who, despite their talent, fail to attain recognition, status, or financial stability. It highlights how a materialistic society often measures worth not by intellect or creativity, but by social standing and wealth. The story centres around two struggling artists—a pianist and a writer—whose identities are gradually eroded by a society indifferent to their art. The pianist, invited to perform at a high-society gathering, is subtly mocked and humiliated—not for lack of skill, but due to his modest appearance and perceived ordinariness. The insincerity of the compliments, followed by unfiltered ridicule, leaves him shattered. In a heart-rending scene, he shares the ordeal with his equally disillusioned writer friend, and the two console each other in their shared grief and artistic despair. The emotional depth of the narrative was powerfully translated on stage by a young and talented cast, including Kananpreet Kaur, Aryan Sharma, Priyal Ashok Gupta, Prerna Sharma, Adaksh Bagal, Kushal Bhat and Kartik Kumar. Neeraj Kant also designed and executed the lighting, Kushal Bhat scored the music, and the set was designed by Pawan Verma. The show was coordinated by Mohd. Yaseen, with Simran Bhagat managing presentations.