Play     : ‘Nanna Pritiya Amrita’

Venue : RamaGovinda Rangamandira,  Ramakrishnanagar

Date    : Mar. 20 (Sunday)

Time    : 7 pm

Duration of the play: 2 hours & 10 minutes

Screenplay-Design-Direction: Prof. S.R. Ramesh

Almost for over two years, there was a compulsory break for most of the cultural activities, especially presentation of dramas, music and dance. Everything was going online — as such, the artistes as well as the viewers also were deprived of the pleasure of performing as well as viewing respectively.

Parivarthana Ranga Samaja, Mysuru, is bringing a totally new topic through the play titled ‘Nanna Pritiya Amrita,’ a story based on the legendary personality of  Punjabi and Hindi literary field — undoubtedly, to say something about such a towering personality, like none other than Amrita Kaur (Amrita Pritam) is a challenging work.

It is indeed difficult to cover her in a short period of 2 hours and 10 minutes. It requires in-depth knowledge about a revolutionary woman writer like Amrita. Amrita was a very bold woman and was a dare devil in expressing about the injustice women had to face a century back — the social system could not digest her thoughts and she had to face criticism from all sides. Still she never stopped and her public life as well as personal life was full of controversies, which she managed in her own style.

For Kannadigas, it will be an experience as if watching systems predominated in the society in the end of 19th Century and beginning of 20th Century. As it is, the lives of women was full of difficulties, especially the life of a strong, bold and creative woman like Amrita Pritam was  full of challenges and obstacles.

How she could manage with all the adversities and with whose support, let the art lovers of Mysuru watch on stage on Mar. 20 where the maiden play will be presented with the title ‘Nanna Pritiya Amrita’ penned by Prof. S.R. Ramesh in Kannada — with the co-operation of his team members, who are though amateurs, well-experienced actors.

It will be like experiencing the confluence of Punjabi literature and its Kannada adaptation. Such cultural exchanges are necessary to unite people from different States of India.

By Dr. Manik A.V. Bengeri