Eighth Annual Natya Darpan Festival of Plays Brings Together Indian Communities of Different Languages
An exciting array of plays will take the stage at the eighth Natya Darpan 2023, a festival of short plays in multiple languages, on Aug. 20 from 1:00 - 6:30 p.m. at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. Hosted by the Indian Heritage and Cultural Association of NJ (IHCA-NJ) in association with the General Consulate of India (New York), Natya Darpan 2023 will feature six amazing short plays in English, Hindi and Marathi, with English supertitles for non-English plays, by award-winning theater groups from around the country.
IHCA-NJ is a nonprofit devoted to promoting and preserving South Asian culture and traditions through artistic expression. The organization exposes its members to activities of cultural significance through a variety of shows and provides opportunities for children and adults to broadcast their talent, to learn rich Indian heritage, and to gain leadership experience.
Natya Darpan, which in essence means “mirror to the society through theater,” was created in 2016 as a collaboration between local theater groups to show the power of the arts despite linguistic barriers. During the last seven years, over 550 local artists including writers, directors, and actors have presented over 58 short plays in many Indian languages like Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada and Gujarati, out of which over 45 short plays were performed for the first time before the Natya Darpan audiences.
“Because of the consistent high quality of the plays, we are proud that the last six Natya Darpan shows were sold out,” says IHCA-NJ founder Dr. Ashok Chaudhary, who holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. Indeed, this year’s festival is nearly at full capacity, with only a limited number of tickets still available.
The lineup of short plays includes “Love For The Entitled” (English), written and directed by Anand Rao; “The Empty Chair” (English), written by Tim Kelly and directed by Dr. Aniruddah Railkar; “Ubhe Aadwe” (Marathi), written and directed by Swanand & Amruta; “Pratibimba” (Marathi), written by Mahesh Elkunchwar and directed by Anu Kanetkar-Mahabal; “Masta Ekdam Majet” (Marathi), written by Pramod Kale and directed by Sandeep Karanjkar; and “Na Nahaye Bahadur” (Hindi), written by Santosh Tiwari and directed by Ameeya Mehta.
This is the first time the festival has catered specifically to a younger generation, with the play “The Empty Chair.” Some of the actors, who are as young as 13, have never performed before on a mainstage theater, says Chaudhary. “This play is very well known among high school students because it is related to drug addiction,” he adds.
The setting is a counseling center for teenagers recovering from substance abuse. One of them dies of a drug overdose. This drama shows how the death of one of their own affects everyone in the group. “The Empty Chair” has a very strong and emotional anti-drug message. Chaudhary notes there will be a post-show panel discussion with a psychiatrist and the actors.
Since its inception in 2013, IHCA-NJ has sought to not only promote local talent in the performing arts, but also bring communities together to address and discuss various current social issues such as women's empowerment, diversity and inclusion, mental health, human trafficking, immigration and LGBTQ+ equality. Issues that affect the South Asian community and have an impact on all other communities as well.
“At Natya Darpan, we always like present thought-provoking plays which have some social impact. (These plays) are not just mere entertainment,” Chaudhary says. He points to the play “Ubhe Aadwe,” which is a dark comedy that looks at scrupulous business practices like Ponzi schemes. The play follows a group of people who get involved in one of these crooked schemes during the COVID lockdown and looks at how the scheme affects the social interaction between family, friends and the community.
The play “Love For The Entitled” is an epic one-act play that looks at survival, wealth, privilege, caste, greed and human suffering during a natural calamity. It is set in the framework of Indian mythology, posing the question ‘why should a person be entitled at birth?’ The characters engage in a battle of wits where they justify each other’s opposing views leading to a denouement that sets an irreversible path for the coming ages.
“Na Nahaye Bahadur” is a satire about India’s long winding court procedures. In the play, a woman is harrowed by her husband who refuses to bathe. When she can longer withstand the stench, she decides to file a divorce petition against him. The drama starts in the courtroom. Chaudhary says the play comes across as a comedy, but it has deep roots in tragic events throughout Indian society. It is loosely based on a real story, where the government acquires large lands from farmers and villagers to build a Dam and promises them a better life. However, the fertile land goes under water. One of the villagers takes matters into his own hands by constructing a water canal to bring the water from the Dam to his village and decides to take a bath. “Na Nahaye Bahadur” explores how false promises from politicians lead to the suffering of the common man, Chaudary explains. “It poses very social economical questions about where progress is going and who is going to benefit from the progress.”
“Pratibimba” is about a man who loses his reflection in the mirror. The reflection is a metaphor, not only for how one sees themself but also for the way one perceives themself through the eyes of our society. Chaudhary describes the play as a psychoanalysis of the mind. “It is very abstract writing. The anecdote is can somebody go into the mind of another person and save that person from committing suicide or stop that person from committing crime.”
The final play in the festival, “Masta Ekdam Majet,” is a comedy about a husband and wife. Chaudhary says it is a typical story in the sense that the wife is suspicious of another woman, but the message is that you only have one life to live and that you have to enjoy that life.
Chaudhary stresses, “it took courage to bring about these types of plays, which are not very common (to Natya Darpan). I really want audiences to come out and celebrate with these artists and to appreciate their talent and hard work.”
The germination of an idea that led to the creation of IHCA-NJ and eventually the festival began with Chaudhary’s desire to amplify the voices of Indian artists who have limited access. He realized that there were little to no avenues for young artists, directors or writers in which to showcase their talent. He acknowledges that he had the skillset to organize a successful event, being an accomplished scientist and senior manager with more than 20 years of experience overseeing research and development at Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Merck and Siemens USA.
The Natya Darpan festival has been able to sustain itself due to a grant and guidance every year from the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners. Another longstanding partner, the Consulate General of India (New York) has included Natya Darpan as part of the very prestigious Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration commemorating India’s 75th anniversary of independence from British rule.
The Natya Darpan festival’s counterpart is the Nritya Darpan festival, which the IHCA-NJ launched last year to support local dancers and choreographers. At Nritya Darpan, six multi-talented US-based dance companies and over 25 highly trained dancers performed dance dramas using traditional and modern techniques and choreographies. The success of this event prompted plans for IHCA-NJ to implement the dance festival as an annual event.
A limited number of tickets are available (priced at $40, $60 and $100).
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