A playful evening in Hyderabad

There was certainly something for everyone on Sunday as Nishumbita Ballet and Theatre group presented two plays — “Salvaton Mein Samvaad” by Mani Madhukar and “Homework” by Suresh Chandra Gupt.
The first one depicted a conversation between an old man and a young girl and as the conversation unfolded, the play explored issues like generation gap, exploitation of women and domestic violence.It also hinted at the possibility that parents’ smothering can lead to straying children. Both the dialogues and the acting were engaging. Though the ending seemed to be a bit prolonged, the applause at the end of the play proved that the audience commended it.
After the rather serious first play, the second one offered some welcome comic relief to the audience. Performed in the German ‘Grips Theatre’ style, where adults play roles of both children and grown-ups, it presented the academic pressures on today’s children in a light hearted manner. Whether it was the self-absorbed mother who is more interested in her make-up than her child’s homework, the god-fearing one who believes that only ‘puja-paath’ and not education can help her child or the father who encourages the son to lie about not doing his homework, the situations and characters managed to connect with the audience who showed their appreciation with cheers and applause. The background music and the lighting gave an added effect to the well- written and well-presented plays which left the audience with a smile on their faces and lingering thoughts in their minds.