Diwar Main Ek Khirki Rahti thee. Review on Diwar Main Ek Khirki Rahti Thee

Diwar Main Ek Khirki Rahti Thee” (There lived a window on the wall) is a much talked about Hindi novel by Vinod Kumar Shukla. The unusual title itself reflects the somewhat unusual writing style of Shukla. Pleasantly, this difference gives a ‘feel fresh’ effect. Shukla’s writings have emerged as an important work in the literary field. Any evaluation of the contemporary Hindi literature will be incomplete without taking into account Shukla’s works. And to present his works as a play is altogether a difficult task. It needs an abstract imagination of a director to play around the text.

An attempt was, however, made by the talented director Mohan Maharishi. He has successfully presented a well laid out play: “Deewar Main Ek Khirki Rahti Thee” with the artists of National School of Drama Repertory Company. This novel is a prose with poetic element. It’s like a long poem, which amazingly treats dreams, hopes, innocence, struggle and simple but strangely colorful daily life of the lower middle class society. Novel does not have any specific storyline; basically it deals with various aspects of the life in a very different way. There is no particular problem to be solved; there is no hero to be admired or no villain to be fought against. It’s a simple and innocent dream, which we feel should continue, though that dream does not have even a bit of glamour.

The writer makes us believe that the most beautiful thing in life is life itself, even if there are worries and deprivation. His dipiction of human characters fills one with a faith in humanity. Vinod Kumar Shukla’s personification of the nature has emerged out in the strong character of the play. National School of Drama Repertory Company’s presentation “Diwar Main Ek Khirki Rahti thee” has came as a whiff of fresh air in Delhi’s theatre world.

While reviewing the play form of the novel, one cannot but appreciate Director Mohan Maharishi’s effort and talent to dramatized the novel so effectively. His work is no doubt impressive. He has successfully depicted the dreamy essence of the novel on the stage. Though some of the scenes seem too dramatic but taking into account the abstract mood of the story, being dramatic might be the only way left for the director to simplify it for the viewer.

Performances of Teekam Joshi, in the lead role as Raghuvar and Seema Yadav as her wife Sonsi are commendable. But the Kuldeep Sareen as the principal of the school entertains the most with his unique mannerism. An elephant is a central character of the play. Though its presence on stage is symbolic and audience easily accepts it, and the credit for this goes to designing of the play. A husband-wife couple, father, an old lady, three kids, a principal and a narrator, this is the total cast of the play.

Narrator tells the story and links the scenes together to cut a long story short. Though the narrative form of poems suits the mood and pace of the play, but the audience expects a more innovative music from the musically talented team of the NSD repertory. The Set design was perfect to portray the living standard of lower middle class but at the same time capable to give a dreamy milieu for a newly wed couple.

Presentation of “Diwar Main Ek Khirki Rahti thee” on stage raises the hope that in future more literary work would come up in this form. Definitely this is going to be a welcome step forward to make the Hindi literature popular and to enrich the theatre world, which is deprived of good script so far.