17 August,2010 07:19 AM IST | | Priyanjali Ghose
Through the lives of a young couple, the Hindi play Swayamvar 2010 questions the egos and eccentrities attached to contemporary arranged marriages
Two sets of traditional Indian parents make two educated young individuals meet each other. Being obedient children, they adhere to their parents' wishes and tie the knot.
But soon their expectations clash and they realise that their marriage is a mistake. Such marriages, which begin with the hope of love and then end miserably, are becoming more and more commonplace in the fast growing cities of India.
In the new Hindi play Swayamvar 2010, the city-based theatre group Kalayan takes a peek into one such marriage and tries to find out what shatters marital bliss.
Explaining the relevance of the play in today's society, Mathura Kalauny, the director of Swayamvar 2010 says, "This is an intense drama that tells us the story of every second marriage in big cities.
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It talks about how love in a relationship nowadays suffers because of numerous expectations and ego issues."
Swayamvar 2010 is not set in any particular city. But the story revolves around two individuals, who represent numerous contemporary metropolitan couples and their issues.
Chitra, a modern young woman and Shekhar, a simpleton get united through an arranged marriage. But soon Chitra starts feeling that Shekhar is much below her expectations.
The feeling of being trapped in a futile marriage and her ego blinds Chitra. She gets attracted to Jagadish, an office colleague, who seems the kind of man she has always craved for.
The tension between Chitra and Shekhar also starts affecting Shekhar's childhood friend Sandeep's relationship. Sandeep, who has been in a relationship withu00a0 Sonam begins to feel unsure of marriage.
"Since the story is about five individuals we had to be very careful all the characters have their distinct flavour and presence.
From Chitra's perspective, she feels that if she had a Swayamvar, she would not have chosen Shekhar. Her sense of failure and the constant battle with the ego shows through her character," Kalauny says.
As the story progresses, the play Swayamvar 2010 soon becomes the everyday struggle of many modern couples.
With stories of techies murdering wives doing rounds in the city, this play becomes believable as it tries to trace the root of marital disputes.
Chitra becomes the face of a contemporary woman who can't recognize true love because of here own complexities while Shekhar represents the sufferer, who is silent but not stupid.
A lucid narrative with colloquial dialogues, Swayamvar 2010 mirrors modern marriages with a touch of humour.
At Ranga Shankara
On August 18 and 19, 7.30 pm
Call 3989 5050
Ticket Price Rs 100
