Sweet irony

Characters from the play

The Theatre Management Company has planned its first online theatre festival with the short play Gajar Ka Halwa that will be staged live on October 4. Directed by Bharatanatyam exponent Anjana Rajan, the neary 10-minute-long play is meant to be a relatively novel theatre experience, performed by actors across the world. The production, based on a short story by Rajan's father, Lalit Mohan Thapalyal, respected Garhwali playwright, is a reflection of 1980s India. Titled Gajar Ka Halwa, it is used as a euphemism to reference social ills prevalent at the time. The storyline by Thapalyal, known for works such as Ekikaran, points to ideas of social justice, philosophy, and focuses on rising above life's challenges while dealing with rampant corruption in those times. It brings out people's struggles to maintain truth and honesty while navigating through society.

Anjana Rajan

The plot is pegged around an old, blind woman whose grandson lives in the US, and who promises that he will visit her and organise her treatment. Gajar Ka Halwa, the dessert that evokes memories of warmth and comfort, is one of the grandson's favourite Indian memories, and the play is named after his love for it. Some unexpected circumstances that take place within the plot employ themes like mistaken identity, as Gajar Ka Halwa becomes the metaphor for tough circumstances sweetened by innocence.

Rajan, who is also a performing arts teacher, shares, "A short play is usually an incident that has been elaborated in the play format. My father's work happened to be imbued with irony, satire and humourous twists. The play is a reflection of the times in which he lived, in which the aged were vulnerable to crime as they are today. The writing points at how serious topics are dealt with in a more indirect fashion using tragicomedy." The play throws up unique challenges as they are performing live with the actors and narrator from different corners of the world including Haridwar, Dehradun, Sahibabad and Geneva.

On: October 4, 8 pm
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 49