AMRITSAR: The Punjabi play "Adh-Vichale, " dedicated to the International Women's Day, was successfully staged at the Punjab Natshala with support from the Ministry of Culture and Punjab Natshala. The play resonated with the audiences, shedding light on the various struggles faced by women and urging for societal reflection and change.
It emphasized the significant role of women in creating a healthy society and conveyed a successful message of changing perspectives towards women. Before the play commenced, the director of the play, Sh.Manchpreet, highlighted the importance of International Women's Day, setting the tone for the audience. The performances by Mandeep Ghai and other talented artists captivated the audience for nearly one and a half hours. The play aimed to showcase not only the challenges faced by women in Indian society but also in other societies, striving to raise awareness about various issues faced by women across different communities. In this play, the focus is placed on the challenges faced by women in the modern era on a global scale.
Renowned playwright Jatinder Singh Brar, during the play, provided insights into the history of Punjab Natshala and discussed the plays that have been performed there. He extensively talked about the director Manchpreet and the play itself. The play adapts three globally acclaimed stories - "Kanjak, " "Pichla Darwaza, " and "Aad Kauri" - into theatrical form, all of which articulate the status of women and their social statuses on a global level.
In light of the ongoing injustices and crimes against women in current circumstances, the selection of these stories was made with great consideration. It was pointed out that while International Women's Day is celebrated, it is essential to recognize the struggles of women beyond just one day and to understand the responsibility of addressing women's issues beyond token gestures. It was emphasized that women have long been denied the right to make their own decisions by society, and celebrating International Women's Day alone does not hold much significance. It was explained that the first story, "Kanjak, " is written by Ajit Kaur, portraying the harmful effects of child marriage rituals on innocent minds. The second story, "Pichla Darwaza, " written by Veena Verma, depicts a well-educated woman who faces abuse after marrying an NRI and succumbs to her circumstances. In this story, abuse changes only in it's form, not in substance.
The modern foreign culture, despite its progressive facade, couldn't prevent the oppression of women. The third story of this play, "Aad Kauri, " written by Rashpinder Resham, portrays the mental anguish and torment of a woman who becomes a victim of child abuse. The play attempts to illustrate how society always seeks to confine women within its constructed boundaries and denies them the freedom to assert themselves within alternative frameworks. The direction of the play was undertaken by Manchpreet, the founder of Rangkarmi Manch. The play featured performances by various artists including Kavita, Nazish Maan, Mandeep Ghai, Saajan Kapoor, Gaurav Seth, Deepika, Mohit Kumar, Sangeet Sharma, Jaideep, Sandeep Singh, Sikandar Bhagat, Suruchi, Suman, Rajni, Jagdeep Singh Jabbal, Manisha, Sudhanshu Gautam, Robin, Palvinder Singh, Parinaz Kaur, and Ravneet Kaur. The musical accompaniment for the play was provided by Harinder Sohal.