Rajula Malushahi

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The Play
Rajula Malushahi is a folklore of love between Rajula, daughter of trader Sunpati Shauka, and Malushahi, a great king of the Bairatha region in Uttarakhand. On knowing that Rajula has been engaged, Malushahi, disguised as a mendicant, reaches Sunpati’s residence. Sunpati poisons Malushahi and disposes off his body in the mountains. But Mirtu Garhwali, a mystic sent by Malushahi’s mother Dharmadehi, revives him from death. Malushahi returns and, after a battle, reunites with Rajula.

Director’s Note
Rajula Malushahi, composed by the renowned theatre musician, late Shri Mohan Upreti is based on his extensive research as imbibed in his work on the folklores of Uttarakhand, and sung by legendary folklorists. The melody and rhythm structure were ingeniously adapted while composing this retelling of the folklore Rajula Malushahi. This production is a tribute to Sh. Mohan Upreti, founder of the group Parvatiya Kala Kendra, who adapted the folk dances and songs of this region to the requirements of contemporary stage, creating various choreographic compositions which were staged in Delhi and other cities of the country and abroad.

The Director
Amit Saxena is an alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi. He is trained in Seraikella Chhau dance and Pantomime. Amit has directed plays and musicals for various cultural organizations of Delhi on multifarious themes. He regularly conducts Art & Culture Appreciation Course focusing on inter-disciplinary subjects like body-movement, dance-therapy, mime, voice and speech, ethnic visual arts, and literature, for young students, theatre practitioners and art lovers.

The Playwright
Shri Brajendra Lal Shah was a renowned writer, novelist, poet and playwright of Uttarakhand. In 1992, he was honoured with the prestigious Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi award for his contribution in the field of play-writing.

The Music Composer
Late Shri Mohan Upreti was a teacher, singer, researcher and theatre musician who pioneered the operatic singing traditions of Uttarakhand like Kumauni Ramlila, Jagar and other folk forms and created forays on the modern theatre platforms during the 1970s to 1990s. Operas for which he composed music are Rajula Malushahi, Ajuwa Bafaul, Rasik Ramol, Bhana Gangnath, Uttar Ramcharitmanas, Andha Yug, Inder Sabha, Meghdoot to name a few. He was honoured with prestigious awards like Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Sahitya Kala Parishad award for Theatre Music and Uttar Pradesh Yash Bharati award amidst many others.

The Group
Parvatiya Kala Kendra was founded by Late Shri Mohan Upreti with a view to promote the folk forms of Uttarakhand. The Kendra’s aim is to build an indigenous theatre, which could reflect the life of the hill- people of Kumaon and Garhwal, their aspirations and their problems, their aesthetic sensibilities and awareness.

Cast & Credits
Rajula Ridhima Bagga
Ganguli (Rajula’s Mother) Chandra Bisht
Sakhiyan Abhilasha, Laxmi Mahato, Suman Rani, Neelam Rana,

Tripti Thapliyal, Shreshtha
Pariyan Tripti, Shreshtha, Suman & Abhilasha
Dharmadehi
(Malushahi’s Mother) Babita Pandey
Chorus & Villagers Laxmi Mohato, Neelam Rana, Gargi Latwal, Suman Rani,
Namrata Negi, Abhilasha, Shreshtha, Tripti Thapliyal

Malushahi Sudhir Rikhari
Sunpati Shauka Mahender Singh Latwal
Sidua Ramol Khilanand Bhatt
Bidua Ramol Mukesh Sanwal
Pujari Dinesh Sharma
Phachuwa Duryal Dhruv Kumar
Kalu Kahad & Lachchu Mahar Gaurav Verma
Pachhu Mahar Mukesh Sanwal
Mama Nagmal Gopal Pandey/Dinesh Sharma
Jogi Dal (Khekidas, Bhekidas,
Henidas, Phenidas) Deepak Rana, Gautam Kumar Singh, Laxmi Dutt Sharma,

Dhruv Kumar
Bheku Darwan & Pahri Bhupal Singh Bishit
Mirtu Gharwali Mukesh Sanwal
Chorus & Villagers Deepak Rana, Gaurav Verma, Govind Mahato, Khilanand Bhatt,

Bhuwan Rawat, Gautam Kumar Singh, Shanu

Harmonium/ Cue Control Bhairab Tiwari
Harmonium Navneet Pandey
Tabla Mohd. Idris Khan
Flute Rajender Samwal
Sitar Sayeed Khan
Sarangi Anil Mishra
Percussions Gagan
Folk Instruments of Uttarakhand Ramesh & Party
Music Arrangement Dr. Pushpa Tewari Bagga
Choreography Divya Upreti, Diksha Upreti
Make-up Hari Kholiya
Costume Late Shri Anand Singh Kumaoni, Hari Kholiya
Costume Assistance Mahender Singh Latwal, Chandra Bisht
Property & Set Gopal Pandey
Property & Set Assistance Khilanand Bhatt, Govind Mahto, Bhupal Singh Bisht
Aipan Art Asha Upreti
Lighting Shyam Kumar Sahni
Music Composition Late Sh. Mohan Upreti
Playwright Brajendra Lal Shah
Direction Amit Saxena

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Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

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