Enlightenment, battle within self

Falah Faisal | NT

 Bengaluru

 Enlightenment is a word that is used very loosely these days, with self-proclaimed gurus and social media influencers branding it around like a cool hashtag. But the word has deeper implications and that is what the play Ilhaam, which translates into enlightenment, directed by Deevas Gupta and written by Manav Kaul hopes to tackle.

 “ The play  revolves around the theme of absurdism which is what Manav is famous for. It deals with the existential crisis but not in a very philosophical way,” says Deevas Gupta, the director of the play.

“It is a one-act play that runs for 75 minutes and asks why are we running blindly towards nowhere. Where to do the choices that we make lead us,” says Deevas who was a ‘corporate slave’ until about 2013 until theatre happened to him which made him quit the rat race for better pastures.

On the importance of Manav Kaul as a play[1]wright, he says, “We have reached a point where we need new stories and new playwrights. No offense to the classic playwrights, but we have overdone them and none of the social issues have changed, but the intensity has increased. We need stories that are relatable today, and Manav is one of the best contemporary playwrights." He notes that Manav writes stories for the common people and has become a master of absurdism.

The play was last performed in April, and since then, the group has added music and singing to the play that the original did not include. “The actors have a better understanding of the characters and I have a clearer vision. It has certainly evolved and the current version is about 25 percent different from the last time we performed it,” says Deevas.

 The play stars Varun Kainth, Urvashi HV, Hari Singh, Mann Chhatbar, Su[1]meet Borana, Vijay Sharma, Prakil Singh, Kewallya Jain and Prateek Sultania and will be performed twice this Saturday at Jagriti Theater at 3:30 and 7:30.

 Where: Jagriti Theater, Whitefield

When: August 20, 3:30 and 7:30 pm

Tickets: bookmyshow.com