Director Ajay Manchanda wove three classic Premchand stories -- 'Mantra', 'Panch Parmeshwar' and 'Buddhi Kaki' -- in his play 'Kasauti' to highlight the apathy and alienation prevalent in society today.
'Kasauti', a production of Dhwani, the theatre society of Archarya Narendra Dev College, was staged at Shri Ram Centre last evening. It was one-of-a-kind attempt to bring three thematically different stories into a moving drama.
"When I decided to do the play, I thought about Premchand and his stories. They are relevant in the contemporary setting. There is such social apathy, alienation and disregard towards older people today. People live like machines. Who better than Premchand to highlight these problems?" Manchanda said.
Manchanda said Premchand is an author he has grown up reading about and has staged many of his stories.
"It was hard to make one play from three different stories but we ended up making a unique mix which people liked. I involved young students in the play. They went through proper training. It would help them understand the underlying thought behind Premchand's stories," said Manchanda, who has been involved with theatre for more than three decades now.
The director said Premchand had his pulse on the system as the story of a doctor's apathy in 'Mantra', the negligence of elders in 'Buddhi Kaki' or nepotism shown in 'Panch Parmeshwar' are issues that people are still grappling with.
