The play 'Bahadurpurko Dantyakatha', directed by Saraswati Chaudhary at Mandala Theater, satirizes the life of King Bhupati, who is drowning in debt, and the hypocrisy and leadership of society.
What you should know
King Bhupati of Bahadurpur, a king in name only! He has neither cigarettes to smoke nor rations to eat. A dilapidated palace remains in the name of ancestral property. The ceiling where birds build their nests, from time to time, bricks and dust particles keep falling from the ceiling.
The wall is so narrow that even a person can enter! Not only this building, but also the moneylenders who come to the door every day reveal the financial condition of King Bhupati. A person like a king is so deep in debt that he moves like a mouse inside the palace to escape from the moneylenders. And, like a conch shell hiding its body inside a shell, he keeps hiding himself inside the palace. Amidst this poverty, one day a wealthy businessman in the city sends news that he will come to Bhupati's house with his family. Isn't there a riot?
Now the show is enough, the royal place has to be shown! The royal taste and hospitality have to be served. The businessman who came to buy the palace could not be driven away by showing the ruins! And so begins the tug-of-war between royal ego and showy life!
The play 'Bahadurpurko Dantyakatha', staged at Mandala Theater under the direction of artist Saraswati Chaudhary, begins with this dilemma of the king. Will Bhupati's dream of selling the palace and opening a clinic in Kathmandu come true? What steps will Bhupati take to repay the debts of the moneylenders who are occupying the palace? To what extent will Bhupati act to show his royal splendor? Will a building with a history of 400 years attract businessmen? The answers to all these questions are found in the play. This play in the dark comedy genre is very interesting. While trying to connect many characters to the center of the story, the play is a bit long. However, the actor's acting, humor and strange incidents keep the audience engaged in the play. The play has satirized the current Nepali society and the hypocritical leadership, making the audience laugh.
The strongest aspect of this play, which is a translation of the Bengali play 'Ballabhpurer Rupkotha' written by Indian playwright Badal Sarkar, is the hypocritical society it shows. The royal dishes that are served when guests come are not in the palace, the Bhupati works by begging. Cloth is also brought by begging to cover the broken, damaged sofa and chair. Not only that, the same three moneylenders are used to show the presence of a lord in the palace. They also prepare to act as lords in the hope of getting back the lakhs of loans they owe from the king. Now, what would it look like if someone tried to become what they are not? For example, what would it look like if the moneylender of the ration shop stood at the door as a doorman? What would it look like if the moneylender of the linen shop had to walk 'left and right' with a gun in his hand? The 'drama' performed by these actors within the play has been presented in a fun style. The scene where the character of actor Aditya Mishra falls straight to the ground is amazing.
The play does not only contain entertainment elements. There is the havoc of ghosts and the fear of ghosts. Just as playwright Sarkar has told the story by mixing realism with hyper-realism, Vijay Bhandarat has perfectly conveyed it in emotional translation. That is why the strange world presented in this play shows the ugly face and tendencies of Nepali society. Along with the tendency to imitate others, it satirizes the leadership that is arrogant, selfish and obsessed with power. In that sense, this play is relevant to the times.
Bhupati is a reflection of the leadership that takes selfish steps to climb to the highest peak of power. The country's economy and arrogant leadership have been satirized through his character. The country is drowning in debt, but the landowners act as if they are painting the color of prosperity on the same ruined country from outside. The play also seems to be asking the voters who are ready to vote in the upcoming elections through the moneylenders who support the painting - will they continue to trust the hypocritical leadership that has brought the country to the brink of crisis?
Bringing such a strong-minded play to the stage is a great comeback for Saraswati as director. On top of that, the group of artists in the play has also made the 'Bahadurpur legend' weighty. Be it Praveen Khatiwada who became the landowner or Kamalmani Nepal who became a businessman, Sarita Giri who became a wife, Saraswati who became a daughter, they have brought the character alive through their acting on stage. Ghanshyam Joshi, Rambhajan Kamat, Deepal Baral, Chandra Nepali and Aditya, seem strong in their characters, just like the story of the play.
However, trying to give equal space to all the characters has made the play tedious. If director Chaudhary had omitted scenes, characters and events other than those absolutely necessary for the main story, the experience given by the play would have been unique from beginning to end. Although the lighting, music, sets and props used in the play make this problem secondary for a few moments, the tedious story has created an obstacle in the flow of the message of the play.
