On the 29th of February, Gyaan Adab welcomed to our space three performers who brought with them the eternal sunshine their production was about.
Ujale ke Musahib, a work originally written by Vijaydan Detha, a Rajasthani writer and recipient of many awards, was adapted for performance by Rupali Godambe. This performance was staged by her, Swapnil Pandit and a percussionist attachee for our audience that evening.
In the vein of oral storytelling, the atmosphere relaxed and seized in suspense the same way one might when listening to their grandmother spinning tales.
With a plot revolving around a witty king, his court and their efforts to have their kingdom bask in eternal sunshine, the production often broke the fourth wall between audience and performer, and the attendees were in raucous laughter for most of this time.Rupali’s slimy portrayal of the king and his underhand tactics of besting the darkness, complete with the nasally voice, was hilarious at every count; while Swapnil entertained us with his extravagant manner as the chief minister, and his over-the-top acting as they truly tried to take the darkness away.
After many giggles and hoo-hahs, the darkness did finally take over and our night came to a close. This was followed by a short discussion between the performers and the audience.