The sight of death can surely change the way a person looks at his own life. Seeing his teacher dying each second, Vidya’s perception towards living changes and this was showcased through the play, ‘Har Guruvar’.
On the seventh day of 8th Theatre Olympics on Monday, Hindi play Har Guruvar was staged at Ravindra Bhavan. Directed by Rajinder Nath, the play was written by Subha Pande. It was brilliantly staged by the artists of Subrung Theatre Troupe, Delhi.
The 1 hour 45 minute play was all about the perception of an individual towards his life. The play talked about death and on the same platform, it talked about life. The play surrounds the daily routine of Vidya Sagar.Vidya Sagar is a middle-aged advertising firm partner living in Mumbai. He is ambitious, and is running at his fastest in the rat race. He is so busy that he hardly has any time for issues like love and marriage, and that is a cause of misery to his gifted singer girl-friend Jahanvi.
While channel surfing on the TV one day, he happens to catch a glimpse of his old and favourite college professor Datta Sapre, who is now suffering from a fatal disease and does not have long to live. Vidya decides to pay him a courtesy visit, but it turns into a regular routine of weekly visits every Thursday (Har Guruvaar). Sapre, even as his medical condition is worsening, talks of his views on life and death, thus bringing about a sea change in Vidya’s personality.According to the director, “Expression of high wisdom, born out of a life lived with intensity and awareness, is what attracted me first to this play. Added to that was the fact that it was all presented in a rather light-hearted manner, and I hoped that mature and philosophically-inclined people will like it.” On staging this play, the biggest and the most pleasant surprise was the genuine warmth and interest with which the teenagers and children responded to it, he added.