SATYA KE PRAYOG (BASED ON THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GANDHIJI) Director: Devendra Raj Ankur

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Hindi Translation: Kashinath Trivedi
Director: Devendra Raj Ankur
Group: Sambhav, Delhi
Language: Hindi
Duration: 1 hr 20 mins

The Play
This play is based on some of the untouched aspects of the self-written autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhiji divided his autobiography into five parts. The play has a few excerpts from Part one – Janm, High School Mein, Vilaayat ki Taiyari, Sabhya Poshak Main; Part two – Pehla Mukaddama , Netaal Pahuncha, Ko Jane Kal Ki?, Dharma Nirikshan, Ghar ki Vyavastha, Desh ki Ore, Hindustan Mein, Raj Nishtha and Shushrusha; Part three – Toofan ki Aagahi, Bachchon ki Shiksha, Saadagi, Desh- Gaman, Clerk Aur Beira, Dharma Sankat, Ek Punya Smaran aur Prayashchit, Patni ki Dridhta; and from the last Part- Pehla Anubhav, Gokhale Ke Saath Mein, Ashram ki Sthaapna, Neel ka Daag, Mazdooron Ke Sampark Main, Mrityu Shayya Par, and Purnaahuti. The play follows the simplicity of Gandhiji’s life. It portrays Gandhi as a common man, who is later established as a Mahatma.

Director’s Note
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi we decided to prepare a play that had him in the centre. A number of different texts related to Gandhi were read. In the end it was decided to prepare a play on his own story, Satya ke Prayog. Many incidents related to his life have often been staged earlier. Our effort has been to select the sections that are less familiar or untouched. We have tried to stage the translation as it is. Yes, there has been an effort to give it a chronological sequence. The play is around one and a half hour in duration. We have tried to catch different aspects of Gandhi’s life from childhood till the end.

The Director
Devendra Raj Ankur did M.A. in Hindi Literature from Delhi University, and specialised in Direction from National School of Drama. He has directed many professional and amateur theatre groups all around the country. He is a founder member of the popular theatre group Sambhav, and the initiator of ‘Kahani ka Rangmanch’. He has participated as a director in theatre workshops and his plays have been staged in numerous cities. He has translated many plays from English and other languages, and is a regular columnist of theatre in many magazines and journals. More than seven of his books on theatre criticism have been published. He has been the director of National School of Drama. He was awarded with the Sangeet Natya Akademi award for special contribution in the field of theatre.

Cast & Credit
On Stage: Amit Saxena, Durgesh Kumar, Prakash Jha, Gauri Deval, Nidhi Mishra, Amitabh Srivastav

Music Compilation & Operation: Rajesh Singh
Light Design: Raghav Prakash Mishra

Concept & Direction: Devendra Raj Ankur

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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