Mukesh Nema’s HARUS MARUS Director: Rasika Agashe

by · Published · Updated

image_pdfimage_print

Playwright: Mukesh Nema

Director: Rasika Agashe

Group: Being Association, Mumbai

Language: Hindi

Duration: 1 hr 35 mins

The Play

This play depicts the story of the transformation of rats into humans and humans into rats. ‘Garibprasad’ has been given the task of killing the rats but instead of killing them he brings the two rats (Harus and Marus) to his home. The two rats befriend Garibprasad’s daughter ‘Laali’. Harus Marus get to know that the ‘Malik’ is exploiting Gareebprasad and he doesn’t even have money for her daughter’s engagement. Harus Marus decide to help Gareebprasad. But in the process Gareebprasad gets convicted for the crime that he didn’t do. And in all these chaos Gareebprasad realises that he is living the life of a puppet and everybody is pulling his strings as per their wishes and that it’s better to be a rat than being poor.

Director’s Note

Harus-Marus is an original contemporary play which unveils the parochial nature of human beings. We live in such a time where human life is of mere value. Our daily struggle for existence is even inferior than the life of rats. The widening inequality in our society forces a larger portion of population towards the silent epidemic of hunger. Their misery is not only restricted to food but they also don’t have the right to live freely. Harus-Marus is a satire where the writer literally creates a mob of rats in searching for food and has two mice which speak human language. In a humorous satirical way, the play takes us into the realms of poverty where the poverty-stricken human being is compelled to choose a life of rat over human life. In juxtaposition, rats help the poor to get justice.

The Director

Rasika Agashe is NSD graduate in acting. She has been an actress, a director and a writer for both TV and theatre. Currently she is working in Hindi, Marathi and English theatre. Her plays have been staged in all major festivals across India. She has directed plays like Masti Mein Romeo Juliet, Iss Kammbakht Sathe Ka Kya Karein, Eidgaah, Collaborators, Museum of Species in Danger, Andhere Ke Romeo Juliet, Sat Bhashe Raidas, Maranat Kharokhar Jag Jagte, Raat Na Aaye, Hum Panchi Lahron Ke and Harus Marus. And has acted in Apna Apna Bhagya, Laila Majnu, Baghdad Burning, Popatpanchi, Wedding Album, Sadu Saduchi Bayko, Gholat Ghol, Museum of Species in Danger and Harus Marus.

The Playwright

Mukesh Nema was born on 21st March 1976 in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. He did his primary schooling from Dabalchowki village in Dewas district. He then did M.A. in Hindi Literature from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya Indore. He is a diploma holder in film screenplay writing from FTII Pune. From his school days, he has been active in theatre, has directed and acted in many popular plays. He has also written more than 15 plays. His one- act plays Matamma and Kabeela were honored at State and National Level. Presently he is writing screenplays and dialogues for variety of Hindi television shows.

The Group

Being Association is a group formed with the sole purpose of theatre development and education. Social awareness through theatre is also one of the main purposes of Being. Mumbai, which has always been a cultural hub of India, which gives opportunity to all getting attracted to this entertainment port, allowed us to create and stage our theatrical concepts in very creative form. In this commercial environment of our entertainment Industry, it becomes very necessary to experiment and explore theatre, through reading our rich literature, and general awareness about social political conditions.

CASTS & CREDITS

Harus:  Saurabh Thakre

Marus:  Atul Ramesh Kadam

Lampat Chuha:  Shubham Goswami

Nirali Chuhiya/Rani:  Kiran Pavaskar

Saloni Chuhiya/Premlata:  Janhavi Deshpande

Gyani Muni Chuha/ Aurat Ek:  Chaitanya Singh Rajput

Budha Chuha/ Andha Chuha/Aurat Teen/ Ganapati: Amit Vikram Pandey

Chaman Chuha/Aadmi Ek/ Aurat Do:  Raaj Soni

Vaidyaraj Chuha/ Lula Chuha/ Writer:  Pratik Suresh Gaikwad

Sayani Chuhiya: Dhritisree

Malik:  Sanaatan Bajaj / Vipul Nagar

Malkin:  Rasika Agashe

Laali: Aakanksha Kadre

Garib Prasad: Vikas Tripathi

Chuha Teen/ Aadmi Teen: Sahitya Pansare

Chuha Do/ Aadmi Do: Prashant Barole

Chuha Ek:   Tejas Kamble

Assistant Director:  Sanket Shanware

Music: Amod Bhatt

Light Design: Sachin Lele

Costumes:  Swapnil Satardekar

Set Design:  Santosh Jadhal

Set Execution:  D. K. Rahul

Poster Design: Nikhil Kulkarni

Backstage:  Aditi, Prashant, Nandan

Playwright: Mukesh Nema

Director:  Rasika Agashe

Tags:

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.

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *