Udaipur: The monthly theatre evening ‘Rangshala’, organised by the West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC), Udaipur, witnessed an engaging staging of ‘Meeta! Panchlight Wale’ at the Darpan Auditorium in Shilpgram on Sunday. The play was presented by ‘Drama Dropouts’, the cultural wing of Astita Foundation, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The theatrical adaptation and direction were by Love Tomar.

Dr Ashwin M. Dalvi, Director, West Zone Cultural Centre, said that ‘Rangshala’ is organised every month to provide a platform for theatrical productions. The latest presentation explored rural life, social concerns and human emotions through a compelling blend of storytelling, music and acting.

Inspired by Phanishwar Nath Renu’s celebrated story ‘Panchlight’, the play also draws from ‘Teesri Kasam’, particularly the poignant episode of ‘Mahua Ghatwarin’. Set against the rural landscape of North India, the story explores poverty, social hierarchies, aspirations and the dignity of everyday life while examining the warmth and complexities of human relationships.

At the heart of the play are Godhan and Munri, whose emotional and symbolic journey brings questions of belonging, desire, identity and social acceptance to the forefront. The rural community surrounding them is portrayed through humour, compassion, social conventions, gossip, exclusion and a deep sense of togetherness.

Rather than being a literal stage adaptation of Renu’s story, the production reimagines its literary world through the Rohilkhandi language and idiom, regional expressions and original folk compositions. The collective theatrical approach, combined with music and performances, brought the rural setting vividly to life.

The artists effectively portrayed the emotions arising from inequality, deprivation and the feeling of being considered inferior. Their natural performances captured the simplicity and innocence of rural life. The play also conveyed a contemporary message—that despite having access to greater material comforts, people continue to search for something that can bring genuine happiness. In this relentless pursuit, they are often becoming increasingly isolated.

The production also evoked memories of an era when India had fewer cities and a predominantly rural social fabric. Even after moving to cities, people retained the warmth and sense of belonging associated with village life. They lived together, interacted, argued and reconciled, while innocence and simplicity remained an integral part of everyday relationships. The play presented this bygone era almost like a journey through time.

Pankaj Kumar Maurya made a significant contribution to the success of the production. Besides portraying multiple characters, including the narrator, Nanhe and the Gajak seller, he strengthened the musical dimension of the play. As co-music director and lyricist, he created songs including ‘Panchlight aa gayi gaon mein…’ and ‘O Gori Ghooman na Jaiyo…’, adding the sweetness and flavour of rural culture to the performance.

Directed by Love Tomar and co-directed by Shobhit Gangwar, the play featured Shobhit Gangwar as Godhan and Ashi Singh as Munri, both of whom delivered compelling performances. Madhuri Kashyap as Gulri Chachi and Jhalak Gangwar as Mahua Ghatwarin also left a strong impression. Aman Gupta, Vijay Kumar, Rishabh Sharma, Shreya Rastogi, Ayush Agarwal, Siddhi Rastogi and Kapil brought other characters to life.

The Darpan Auditorium was packed with an enthusiastic audience, which warmly appreciated the performance. The actors’ performances, regional language, music and vivid depiction of rural life kept the audience engaged throughout the play.

Deputy Director (Programme) Pawan Amarawat, Assistant Director (Finance and Accounts) Durgesh Chandwani, Superintending Engineer C.L. Salvi, Programme Executive Rakesh Mehta, Hemant Mehta and other officials and employees of the Centre, along with several distinguished guests from the city, were present. The programme was conducted by Siddhant Bhatnagar.