The Theatre Management Company has planned its first online theatre festival with the short play Gajar Ka Halwa that will be staged live on October 4. Directed by Bharatanatyam exponent Anjana Rajan, the neary 10-minute-long play is meant to be a relatively novel theatre experience, performed by actors across the world. The production, based on a short story by Rajan’s father, Lalit Mohan Thapalyal, respected Garhwali playwright, is a reflection of 1980s India. Titled Gajar Ka Halwa, it is used as a euphemism to reference social ills prevalent at the time. The storyline by Thapalyal, known for works such as Ekikaran, points to ideas of social justice, philosophy, and focuses on rising above life’s challenges while dealing with rampant corruption in those times. It brings out people’s struggles to maintain truth and honesty while navigating through society.

Anjana Rajan