IITians Show the Bhukkad Side of World
Saturday witnessed a packed audience of theatre lovers at the Delhi seminar hall at IIT. The IIT Delhi Dramatics club was conducting a comic satirical play, by its Post Graduate students. The name of the play, “Bhukkad” itself hinted on the satire, that it was going to cast at the play. It was the first of the many theatrical events, yet to come, by the Post Graduate Students.
Bhukkhad: The beggar
“Bukkhad”, as it was mentioned in the programme, “was a comic satire on the effect of hunger on the poor and deprived, while also questioning the limits of the definition of ‘Bhukkhad’, i.e. the one who longs persistently for food.”
The corruption of Police, and Politicians.
“The play starts with a starving malnourished person (played by Satyajit) on the streets,and hasn’t eaten for days, who is trying his best to curb his hunger.” He collapses near the parliament house and a drunkard ( Gagan Deep Meena) comes and starts his monologue, thinking that the beggar is sleeping. In the state of intoxication, he recites some witty shayaris which tickled everyone’s funny bone.
Then comes Fokat, a scrap picker (Jit Pal) who berates the beggar, for taking up his sleeping space, on the streets. Fokat moves the body of the beggar to make room for himself. Then he goes off to his slumber.
In the morning several characters, some for the money, some for power, come and try to take advantage of the situation. It include a police inspector (Amit Kumar); Varsha Dutt, a news reporter (Lalita); Chalu Yadav (Jyotish jaiswal), a politician; Maya Banerjee ( Sharbari), and other big hotshots of the country like Baba Ranchordas(Tanmoy Patra) , a spiritual leader, Medha Martodkar (Arpita Vats) a Human Rights Activist, Sanket (Nalin Sharma) A Prime Time news anchor, and Pandey Ji (Yashwant), Secretary to CM.
The collapsing of the beggar, is sensationalized and everyone, from politicians, to police, and from Media to a simple scrap picker, every one starts to twist it around, for their own benefit.
The whole play is full of wit and humor and the stark reality that is prevalent in the society, whether it is the News Debate, where politicians are playing candy crush, to the inhumane greed, and hunger. In the end, it is the common man, who suffers. Despite of the play, being full of comic and humorous elements throughout. It will give you goosebumps in the end.
The roles played by everyone, especially that of Chalu Yadav, the politician; The drunkard; Varsha Dutt, The news reporter; Sanket, The News Anchor and Fokat, the scrap picker were commendable.
After the play, while talking to Gagan Deep Meena, who is also one of the script writers, told us, more about the play. He said that it is an adaptaion of a play by the same name, by a theatre-group in Mumbai by the name of “Toli”. Infact that was also an adaptation of an english play, called “Voice of Hunger”.
“But we had to rewrite the script, from scratch, as the content had to be regarding the current affairs.
The IIT dramatics club plans to focus more on different aspects of the social issues. “Jo Dil Pe Lag Gayi, Wo Kar lenge…” (We will do, whatever touches our heart.), says Gagan.
In the end, however, it raises a question. A question of the quest for food for the underprivileged. Have we become so heartless, that life and power is worth more than our lives?
The group.
