about the play ...Yama Gatha

Asmita theatre group presents,

DOODH NATH SINGH 's

YAMA - GATHA

8 May, 2005 at 7 p.m
LTG Auditorium , Copernicous Marg
Mandi house, New Delhi

Directed by Arvind Gaur

Music by dr.Sangeeta Gaur

Bhartendu Natya Utsava
(Sahitya Kala Parisad)

contacts....
0931-22-33-561,
011-22116554

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ABOUT PLAY
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THIS PLAY FOCUSSES ON THE BRUTALITY,CRUELITY & MANUPULATIONS OF THE 'ONES IN POWER',WHICH THEY DO IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN IDENTITIES.THE MAIN AIM OF THE ''SYSTEM'' IS TO COME IN TERMS WITH THE OPPOSITION,NO MATTER IF FOR THIS THEY HAVE TO EVEN GET THEM 'KILLED'(UNDER THE SHELTER OF LAW)!FOR DEMEANING THE OPPOSITION, FALSE PROPAGANDA IS DONE AGAINST THEM AND EVEN 'RELIGION' IS MISUSED AS A SUPPORT TOOL.

'YAMA GATHA' THROWS LIGHT ON THIS NAKED TRUTH.THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF 'INDRA' & 'PURURVA',DOODHNATH SINGH,THE WRITER OF THE PLAY,EMPHASIZES ON THE CURRENT SOCIAL AS WELL AS POLITICAL SITUATIONS WHICH ARE PREVELANT EVEN TODAY.EVEN THOUGH THISPLAY IS MYTHOLOGICAL,BUT ITS CONTENT STILL SHOWS ITS'PARALLEL EXISTENCE' IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD SITUATION.THIS PLAY GIVES A STRONG STATEMENT ON THE 'UNANNONCED EXPLOITATION' THAT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND THE THIRD WORLD.

GLIMPSES OF 'CASTE SYSTEM' IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THE PLAY.IN THE PLAYINDRA IS THE EPITOME OF 'WORLD POWER' AND BRAHAMANA,RISHIKUL AND RAJA ARE HIS TOOLS.WITH THE HELP OF THESE TOOLS INDRA EXPLOITS THE PEOPLE AND GETS HIS OPPOSITION KILLED BY VERY MANUPULATVELY DECLARING THEM 'AGAINST RELIGION','AGAINST MANKIND'.HE CALLS THEM 'ANARYA' &'DASYU',SO AS TO ISOLATE THEM FROM THE MAINSTREM.'YAJNA' FOR HIM IS AN IMPORTANT MEDIUM OF EXPLOITATION.CROWD OF SERVILES,PARASITES,MUSIC,ALCOHOL AND WOMEN MAKE AN INTEGRAL PART OF HIS 'KUUT NEETI'.

IN THE PLAY,THE FAKE,CRUEL AND DISTORTED FACE OF POLITICS IS EXPOSED THROUGH INDRA.AND ON THE OTHER SIDE,VASHISHT AND PUPRUVA TOGETHER WORK FOR BRINGING LIGHT TO THE PEOPLE;THEY FIGHT FOR THIER RIGHTS AND THEIR WELFARE.NEITHER TO PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH FIRE TO LIVE,NOR DO THEY HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO SURVIVE.PEOPLE ARE EXPLOITED BY THE BRAHMIS & PUROHITS IN THE NAME OF SACRIFICES AND YAJNAS.PURURVA FIGHTS AGINST THIS EXPLOITATION.

INDRA IN THE BEGINNING FEARS PURURVA AND TRIES TO TEMPT HIM BUT LATER GETS HIM KILLED AT THE NAME OF 'DHARM SAMMAN NAYA'
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'YAMA GATHA' ATTACKS THECRUEL AND TWO-FACED "SYSTEM" AND THE POLITICS OF RELIGION.THROUGH THE MEDIM OF WOMEN CHARACTERS LIKE URVASHI & EELA,THE QUESTION OF FEMININE IDENTIYI AND 'ASMITA' IS ALSO RISEN.THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO 'STREAMS OF THOUGHT' OR 'CULTURES' MAKES THIS PLAY STRONG AND OF A BIG CANVAS.

YAMA GATHA IS A DEBATE ON QUESTIONS RELATED TO POLITICAL,SOCIAL AND ECONOMICAL SITUATIONS.THIS PLAY IS BASED ON "MYTH" BUT WE CAN EASILY IDENTIFY THE IMAGES OF THE CHARACTERS IN TODAY'S WORLD POLITICS.THE APPROACH IS CONTEMPORARY IN ALL ASPECTS.