Theatrical Brilliance at Rabindranath Tagore University: A Journey from Chekhov’s Irony to Bhasa’s Tragedy

On June 14 and 16, 2025, the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts at Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal, witnessed the powerful staging of two stylistically diverse plays — “Chekhov Ki Duniya” and “Urubhanga”. These productions were presented by the students of the MPA (Drama) and PG Diploma in Natyashastra as part of a national theatre workshop held from May 7 to 16, marking the culmination of their second semester curriculum. Through these performances, the students skillfully bridged classical Indian theatrical traditions with modern experimental aesthetics.

The two productions stood as compelling contrasts. While one portrayed the ironic absurdities of modern Western society through humour, the other breathed life into the deep emotional undercurrents of Indian mythology through poignant tragedy.

“Chekhov Ki Duniya” — A Humorous Reflection of Social Irony

Staged on June 14, “Chekhov Ki Duniya” was based on three comic one-act plays by Russian literary master Anton Chekhov — Cheeenk, The Bank Manager, and Surgery. Under the seasoned direction of Shyam Kumar and co-direction of Shraboni Saha, the play brought forth the complexities hidden in seemingly trivial incidents. From the social awkwardness triggered by a simple sneeze, to the oppressive nature of bureaucratic banking systems, and the cold commercialization of healthcare — each vignette was rendered with biting humour and subtle irony.

The ensemble cast brought these stories to life with remarkable authenticity. Sehej Harjai served as the narrator, with Ankit Chaudhary (Pyare Mohan), Tanshree Rane (Pyare Mohan’s wife), Sainand Valvaikar (General), and Oindrila Goswami (General’s wife) portraying Chekhovian characters with flair. Supporting roles by Santosh Rajput (Bank Manager), Sauptik Bhattacharya (Assistant Manager), Pooja Kewat (Woman), Praveen Namdev (Compounder), Davinder Singh Grover (Patient), and Deepak Bhardwaj (Audience Member) were met with hearty applause from both guests and viewers.

The backstage team worked with admirable precision. Stage management was handled by Davinder Singh Grover and Sehej Harjai. Costumes were designed by Deepak Bhardwaj, Santosh Grover coordinated props, lighting by Praveen Namdev, and musical direction was led by Vansh Rathore.

“Urubhanga” — A Mythological Tragedy That Stirred the Soul

Performed on June 16, “Urubhanga” is a poignant classical tragedy written by the Sanskrit playwright Bhasa. The play explores the psychological turmoil, remorse, and transformation of a wounded Duryodhana on the eighteenth day of the Mahabharata war. Under the direction of Dr. Sheetanshu Tripathi, the production delved into the devastating aftermath of war and internal conflict, deeply moving the audience.

Shubham Srivastava’s sensitive and intense portrayal of Duryodhana left an indelible mark. As the narrator, Pankaj Diwan effectively connected the audience with both the intellectual and emotional threads of the narrative. Supporting roles were performed by Adeeb Ansari, Sanjay Singh Negi (Ashwatthama), Prateek Chauhan (Dhritarashtra), Neeraj (Krishna), Richa Kalra (Gandhari), Shikha (Pauravi), Nisha Kudaikar (Malavi), Shubham Shivalikar (Durjaya), Unnish Pratap Singh (Baladeva), and the younger characters — Rahul Gupta, Prashant Kumar (Harshit), and Kartik Namdev — all delivering memorable performances.

The scenic design and costuming, supervised by Deepak Bhardwaj with active involvement from Kartik Namdev, enriched the stage with symbolic depth and aesthetic elegance.

Both performances were graced by distinguished guests — Chancellor Shri Santosh Choubey, Vice-Chancellor Prof. R. P. Dubey, and Dr. Prasad Bhide from Central Sanskrit University, Bhopal. After witnessing “Chekhov Ki Duniya”, the Chancellor lauded it as a sharp portrayal of social reality and commended both cast and crew. Regarding “Urubhanga”, Dr. Bhide praised its seamless fusion of ancient dramaturgy with modern theatrical techniques. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dubey described both plays as commendable and emphasized the importance of sustaining such creative academic endeavours at the university.

The entire event was coordinated under the guidance of Dr. Sanjay Kumar Dubey, Dr. Savitri Singh Parihar, and Sh. Abhishek Deshmukh, whose leadership transformed this semester-end production into a rich academic and cultural experience.

“Chekhov Ki Duniya” and “Urubhanga” stand as testaments to the theatrical acumen, emotional insight, and creative potential of the students at Rabindranath Tagore University. These productions point towards a promising future — where tradition meets innovation, theory meets experience, and Indian roots engage meaningfully with global perspectives.




Chekhov ki Duniya by Neil Simon

The Play
Chekhov ki Duniya is a collection of six short stories by Chekhov. Cheenk: The story is filled with irony. It includes “The Sneezer” who cannot apologize enough to a blustering general for splattering a sneeze on his head at the opera. Surgery: The story of a man with a toothache faced with what looks like medieval instruments of
torture and an inexperienced dental assistant. Shikari shows a man-about-town using a husband as the conduit for his attempted seduction ofthe man’s wife, Irena. Besahara Aurat: It features a wild woman with a nervous disorder who tries to extort money from a banker. Dooba Hua Aadmi: It is the story of a man who earns by ‘drowning’.
The Gift: A tale of a very concerned and dedicated father who thrusts his shy, 19-year old son into manhood.

Director’s Note
This collection of stories from Chekhov touches every major human emotion. I wanted this width in emotional panorama for this production. I wanted this play to be an emotional journey for the audience. So while I have used music and lighting to make the emotional experience come alive I ave kept the stage bereft of any major set that may distract. The characterization is so strong that  as a Director my job really was to make the actor understand the character, the circumstances and the emotional state rather than tell them what to do. This gives tremendous freedom to the actor and an immense satisfaction to me to see the play unravel. The actor and I begin to think on the same wavelength as the play progresses. This allows for experimentation, discussion and innovation, making the entire process and the final product truly delightful to the actors, me and hopefully for the audience.

The Director & Adaptor

Ranjit Kapoor joined the National school of Drama, where he specialized in Direction, winning the Best Director Award when he qualified for his diploma in 1976. Ranjit Kapoor is well known also as a translator and adaptor of plays, and an actor and a writer of screenplays. He has directed a number of television serials, written dialogues for popular films such as Jane Bhi Do Yaron, Mohan Joshi Haazir Hon, Woh Saat Din, and Bandit Queen, as well as screenplays for Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, Khamosh, Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, Halla Bol and other films. He has written songs and composed music for several films and directed feature films viz.
Chintu ji starring Rishi Kapoor, and Jai Ho Democracy. He is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman of Delhi, Shikhar Samman, the Sansui Award, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

The Group
The first production of The Entertainers, New Delhi was Lomar Vesh directed by Shailendra Goel. Ek Ghoda Chhey Sawaar, Court Martial, Kaua Chala Hans Ki Chaal, Mera Dost Bhootnath, Ek Sansadiya Samiti Ki Utthak Baithak, Afvaah and Chekhov ki Duniya are some of its major productions. The group has performed extensively for the Sangeet Natak Akademi, NSD Annual festivals and World Performing Arts Festival in Lahore. In the year 2007, its play Chekhov Ki Duniya was nominated for five awards at the prestigious Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards.

Cast & Credits
Chheenk
Clerk Ashwin Chadha
Clerk’s Wife Mukta Singh
General Amitabh Srivastava
General’s Wife Tabbasum
Surgery
Padri Shailendra Jain
Dr.’s Assistant Brij Bhushan Shukla
Shikari
Peter Ashwin Chadha
Husband Amitabh Srivastava
Wife Mukta Singh
Besahara Aurat
Bank Manager Amitabh Srivastava
Assistant Wamiq Abbasi
Besahara Aurat Poonam Girdhani
Dooba Hua Aadmi
Writer Sunil Upadhyay
Aadmi Wamiq Abbasi
Sipahi Shailendra Jain
The Gift
Father Amitabh Srivastava
Son Sunil Upadhyay
Prostitute Mukta Singh
Chekhov (in all stories) Sunil Upadhyay
Lights Raghav Prakash
Costume Anila Singh
Music Operator Daniyaal Abbasi
Music Design Ranjit Kapoor
Playwright Neil Simon
Adaption & Direction Ranjit Kapoor