Singer-actress Ila Arun's play 'Namaste', a Hindi adaptation of Tom Dudzick's 'Greetings!', made its debut stage appearance in the national capital.
The Hindi play, which has been written by Arun and directed by KK Raina, beautifully delved into the conflict of modern and contemporary thoughts in the backdrop of Krishna Janmashtami.
"There has always been conflict between old and new ideas since the existence of human race. There have been conflicting views about the existence of God, about culture, values and traditions and this conflict is more prominent today than ever.
"One often sees that old world values and beliefs find little acceptance from the new generation. Through, 'Namaste' we are trying to highlight that such conflicts can be resolved if we understand each other and try to find a middle path," Arun told reporters here.
The two-hour long play was attended by Union minister Maneka Gandhi yesterday, who loved Arun's performance.
"It's a beautiful play and Ilaji is brilliant on her part," she said after the play.
The play begins with Mohan (Abhishek Panday) - a young Indian boy living in America - bringing his foreign girlfriend (Aditi Sharma) to meet his Delhi-based family.
The family consists of a traditional mother (Arun), religious father (Raina) and younger brother Sohan (Ashutosh Pandit), a child with special needs.
On the festive day of Janmashtami, a miracle happens when a spirit takes over Sohan, who manages to reunite the family.
Arun, who started off her career in showbiz with theatre in Jaipur before making it big in the Hindi Film industry as a singer, said the play is quite relevant in today's time.
"It's an apt play in today's time. We should always look forward to protect our culture and heritage while being in sync with the modern thoughts. We should listen to both the ideas," she added.
To connect with the youth, Arun interspersed her witty dialogues with the references of Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, film like 'Gangs Of Wasseypur' and the current political scenario.
The play was staged for MTS India's women customers last evening at Kamani auditorium.
