I was not too late by nepali standard time… Just an hour late. Play was scheduled to start at 6:30 pm and I reached at 7:30 pm. Not to say I was not too late( what I feeled after reaching there). But my intention was not to follow so called nepali standard time. You can leave nepali watch and nepali time in nepal, but you cannot leave behind nepali culture and nepali people. We( me and Prashanna Jii) planned to leave our hostel by 6:00 pm in morning. Half an hour is quite enough time(thanx to delhi metro) to reach mandi house from maal road( Delhi University North campus). Though unintentional, I reached hostel at 6:15 pm. But Prashanna jii had some nepalese guest with him, to take care of. Ya … i haven’t told you my reason of being late. PPT the term that all B-school grads hate to listen, but cannot go away with. I had (a swap) PPT of a bank from 4pm , which lasted for 2 hour. Now you will wonder swap !!!!! You are exchanging your PPT timing with some other person ( donot ask why ??? ).
Now the main thing, “O Khhali Muh Dekhai Chhai” a maithil (adjective of Mithila) play. There are very few instances when you get to hear about maithili Drama. “O Khhali Muh Dekhai Chhai” (translation not exactly: He is looking blank face) is the story about a girl’s value in “Dowry” driven society. There is a girl named SITA ( named after mithila’s well known daughter, Lord RAM’s Wife SITA). Sita is MA pass, but greedy society do not care of it. Her father couldn’t manage to find any suitable engagement for her. At one instance, he is demanded more than he can afford, and at another place the boy was not a good match. Her father even didnot manage to get loan from closest people. Suddenly snake bits her one day in her vegetable garden. When she rushs to her father and explain it, her father knowingly deny it by saying, it was frog, not snake. The dialogue goes as
Sita:” Baba babu, dekhho na, paair may kitchoo kait layla ka, humra lagai hai ki saap chalaha”
father: “nai nai beng chalaowa”
S: “Ab paair sunn bhagayl, khoon sayhoo niklala”
F: “Bengo kay katla sa sunn bhajai chai, aa khoon say hoo aabai chai”
S: ” Nai oota saapay chalai ya”
F: “Tohra kiya lagai chau oona? ooh ta beng rahalai ya”
S: “Paair may laptagayl chhaala”
F: ” Bengo laptajae chhai, Jo Jo shuit rah”
Transalation:
Sita: ” Dad dad, look, some thing have bitten in my leg, i think it was snake”
father: ” no no it was frog”
S: ” leg has became senseless, blood also came”
F: ” Even frog biting make it senseless, and blood also comes out”
S: ” No dad, It was snake”
F: “Why do you feel like i was snake”
S: ” it encircled my leg”
F: ” Frog too encircle on leg, go sleep”
But by the time his sense wakes him up, it was late. On seeing her daughter in fire, he looses his mental order. He start thinking that all the bride is SITA. So he unveils whoever comes near him, and utters ” she is my SITA”. But from Where will SITA comes now????
After program gets over, as usual, every one started to share there part of credit (Not a bad idea any how, as long as it is motivating them). I started to find out peoples on stage. Anyhow, they are from my heart land, Janakpur( once kingdom of Mithila). Shared many views with the people. Some even expressed the desire to scaleup the Mithila Natak activities in the Indian Metros ( where Maithils are highly migrated). I too added(my part of gas) on the discussion, why cannot we think of taking progarms to cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Banglore. Many successful maithils are located in those cities( I donot say that maithils in other cities have not succeed).
The program was a huse success, Sri Ram Kala Kendra Auditorium was full (Some people even managing seat on carpet). A lot of clapping and offcourse some emotional silence among audience. There were equal proportion of women too.
Ya , one point just rememberd and I want to mention it here. Among the artist, one performing girl was non-maithili speaker. Quite amazing, isn’t it? Me too amazed. This fact is very important to the people who understand Nepalease social structure.
Do write me, how was it???
Enjoy.
