New Delhi, September 5, 2025. The Sammukh Auditorium at the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, witnessed a powerful confluence of literature and theatre with the staging of two acclaimed stories by Senior Poet–Novelist, Director of Vishwarang, and Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University, Sh. Santosh Choubey—*Unke Hisse Ka Prem* and Garibnawaz. The plays were directed by veteran theatre director Devendra Raj Ankur and presented by Sambhav Art Group, Delhi, under the aegis of Vanmali Srijan Peeth.

Sh. Santosh Choubey, celebrated for his profound and sensitive contribution to Hindi literature and theatre, has carved a niche through his exploration of human emotions and the complexities of contemporary society. His stories, marked by simplicity of language and depth of expression, continue to inspire both readers and performers.

In Unke Hisse Ka Prem, the fragmented relationships and emotional struggles of an institutional boss are revealed through the unique perspectives of inanimate objects—his desk, pen, chair, diary, and mirror. By transforming these objects into living witnesses, Shri Santosh Choubey’s pen captures the poignancy of solitude and the delicate nuances of human vulnerability.

Garibnawaz, on the other hand, starkly contrasts capitalist success with the resilience of the working class. The clash between Vishwamohan’s opulent BPO office—symbol of globalized affluence—and the modest yet spirited Garibnawaz Chicken Shop next door, becomes a metaphor for the strength of labor and grassroots survival. Here, Sh. Santosh Choubey incisively exposes the paradoxes of urban politics, unauthorized encroachments, and local power nexus.

The stage came alive through remarkable performances by Nidhi Mishra, Gauri Dewal, Rachita Verma, Amitabh Srivastava, Amit Saxena, Prakash Jha, Harikesh Maurya, and Sahaj Harjai. The evocative musical design by Rajesh Singh and Sahaj Harjai, complemented by the lighting design of Raghav Prakash Mishra, intensified the impact of the narratives. The evening was skillfully anchored by Vikrant Bhatt, Associate Director of Tagore Theatre School.

Adding a visual dimension, an exhibition based on the works and books of Shri Santosh Choubey was curated by Prashant Soni, Vikrant Bhatt, Upendra Patne, and Yogesh Kumar. The Sammukh Auditorium was packed with an enthusiastic audience, who responded with admiration for this rare blending of literature and performance.

Without relying on elaborate sets or theatrical gimmicks, the evening reaffirmed that the strength of theatre lies in the richness of writing and the precision of direction. The pen of Sh. Santosh Choubey and the direction of Devendra Raj Ankur together proved that great stories are as alive on stage as they are in the imagination of the reader.

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.

Bhopal. Vanmali Srujan Kendra, Bhopal unit organized a special poetry recitation series called ‘Kavi Saptak’ in the Muktdhara Auditorium of Rabindranath Tagore University on 23 December 2024. In which talented poets of Rabindranath Tagore University and Scope Global Skill University mesmerized the audience with their creations.

In this program, Shashwat Verma, Ashi Dixit, Vikrant Bhatt, Vishakha Rajurkar Raj, Mudit Srivastava and Mausami Parihar recited their poems, which immersed the auditorium in literary essence. Shashwat was seen communicating with his inner self in his poems, while the freshness of language was seen in Ashi’s poems. Vikrant presented his curiosities in poetry. Vishakha scattered the rainbow colors of love in her poems. Mudit worked to bind the events of life and the fine lines of nature in language. Mausami expressed her tender restlessness through poems.
The program was presided over by Dr. Veena Sinha ji, President of Vanmali Srujan Kendra, Bhopal unit. Who congratulated the poets and shared her views on their poems. Shri Vinay Upadhyay ji also praised the poets and the new experiments done in their creations. At the end of the program, Dr. Savitri Singh Parihar, Coordinator of Sanskrit Oriental Language and Indian Knowledge Tradition Center, expressed her gratitude to everyone. Student Pushpendra, Chairman of Virasat Samiti, conducted the program efficiently, and on this occasion teachers of the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts and students of Natya Vidyalaya were also present as spectators. Due to which the program got a wide and enthusiastic audience. ‘Kavi Saptak’ not only provided a platform to poetry lovers but also promoted literary dialogue and creativity.

A three-day workshop (28 to 30 in 2024) was organized at Rabindranath Tagore University under the Faculty of Sanskrit Prachaya Bhasha Kendra Manviki Udaar Kala Sankay. Its participants were students of Masters in Performing Arts (Drama). Two plays were prepared by them. The play “Kaalchakra” written and directed by J.P. Singh and the other play “Bank Manager” written by Anton Chekhov and directed by Shyam Kumar were staged in the Sharada Auditorium of the University on 30 May. The play “Kaalchakra” is based on the legend of Raja Bhoj and Gangu Teli, in which the lead roles were played by J.P. Singh as Raja Bhoj and Tarun Jalota as Gangu Teli. Vaidyanath Sharma as Vaidya and Amatya, Vashishtha Upadhyay played the role of Ang Raj, Jyoti Upadhyay as Chandramukhi, Ashfaq as Musician, Vansh Rathore as Singer, Neeraj played the role of Dwarpal and Lights Designed by Shyam Kumar. The play Kaalchakra was started with a Jarjar Puja as per the rules of Natyashastra. A unique amalgamation of music and acting was seen in the play.

The second story full of humour “Bank Manager” is about a woman who comes to a bank, forces the manager to fulfill her unreasonable demands, the play is full of some humorous exchange of dialogues between the two and ends with the manager literally losing his mind. Nagendra Sharma played the role of the bank manager, the role of the woman was played by Shraboni Saha, Sachin Verma played the role of the assistant manager, music was directed by Vansh Rathore and lighting was designed and directed by Shyam Kumar.

In both the presentations, senior theatre artist and former director of M.P.S.D. Alok Chatterjee and the Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr. Aditi Chaturvedi Vats and the Vice Chancellor of the University graced their dignified presence as the chief guests. Alok Sir appreciated the play and praised the acting of all the artists. Dr. Aditi Chaturvedi Vats called the students’ presentation commendable and called it the heritage of the University. All the students were given certificates after the play. The coordinators of this workshop were Dr. Sanjay Dubey and Dr. Savitri Singh Parihar, co-coordinator Dr. Deepak Tiwari, cooperation from the Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts and Mr. Sharad Mishra, Abhishek Deshmane.