Of motherly love

 

KATHMANDU, JAN 06 - Dhruba insults his friends, bullies his juniors, destroys flowers in the garden and does not study. His friends, teachers and even the school’s watchman complain about him to the school principal. But instead of punishing him, the principal, aware of Dhruba’s disturbed mental state, reaches out to help him. This is the backdrop of the play titled Kohi Kina Barbad Hosh, currently being staged at the Mandala Theatre, Anamnagar.
Dhruba, played by Umesh Pokhrel, is the lead character of the 1958 drama written by Bijay Malla. The play follows the story of a troubled boy—whose mother had eloped with another man when he was three years of age; he lives in the hostel of a boarding school. And despite frequent visits by his father to the hostel, he fails to bring himself closer to his son who yearns for his mother’s love.
Principal Sundar Sir, played by Sunil Pokhrel, in his attempt to help Dhruba, persuades one of the teachers, Kamala (played by Kenipa Singh), to provide Dhruba with motherly love to help him recover.
As the story progresses, Dhruba grows into a talented young man under Kamala’s care. And Kamala, despite being aware of the fact that she is just doing her job as a teacher, starts getting emotionally attached to Dhruba. She goes as far as to reject a marriage proposal for his sake. But what happens when Dhruba finds out the truth?
The play, directed by Shankar Rijal, and featuring Sunil Pokhrel—who’s back after a long hiatus—has an updated context and is set in contemporary times.
Apart from providing an in-depth view into the minds of the characters involved, the play also manages to work as a commentary on the situation of educational institutions, and the relationship between teachers and students. The selfless act performed by Kamala could be a lesson for our indifferent society as a whole.
The play will be staged every day till January 13. Shows are scheduled at 1pm and 4:30 pm
Posted on: 2015-01-06 09:01

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