###Aashadh Ka Ek Din": An Unparalleled Example of Love and Sacrifice

- **The poet Kalidas, uprooted from his land by the dominance of wealthy and capitalists.**
- **Spiritual love suppressed for years under the weight of responsibilities and duties.**
- **Mallika endured deprivation and rebuke for years, waiting for her lover, Kalidas.**

**Udaipur, JOn Sunday, July 21, 2024, the Natyaansh Society of Dramatic and Performing Arts staged the renowned Hindi play "Aashadh Ka Ek Din." Directed by Amit Shrimali and written by Mohan Rakesh, this play was penned nearly six decades ago. The magic of Mohan Rakesh's writing ensures that the play remains as relevant and impactful today as it was at the time of its creation. At first glance, the play appears to be a love story between the Sanskrit poet Kalidas and his beloved Mallika. However, it also highlights the mindset of power-drunk capitalists and how they exploit talented individuals to fulfill their selfish desires. Additionally, it sheds light on the education system and the bureaucratic setup. Under the guidance of senior theatre artist Bhanu Bharti, the Natyaansh team has been diligently preparing for this performance for the past three months.

**Synopsis**

Mallika and Kalidas reside in a small village nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, part of the Ujjaini state. Kalidas lives at his uncle's house, while Mallika lives in the same village with her mother. Due to their childhood friendship and love for literature, Mallika and Kalidas share a deep love. Because of his selfless love, Kalidas does not wish to marry, and Mallika does not want to see him bound by any ties.

Mallika's mother, Ambika, does not understand the concept of selfless love and tries repeatedly to explain it to Mallika, but to no avail. During their time in the village, Kalidas wrote "Ritusamhara," which quickly gained immense popularity. After reading this work, the king of Ujjaini invited Kalidas to the royal court to honor him with the title of court poet. Acharya Vararuchi arrived in the village with this invitation from the royal court. However, Kalidas had no desire for honor or position and was unwilling to leave the village despite the villagers' and his uncle's persuasion. But Kalidas could not refuse Mallika's request. After her persuasion and encouragement, he agreed to go to the capital. Kalidas had a friend named Vilom, who was the complete opposite of Kalidas. Vilom and Ambika wanted Kalidas and Mallika to marry before he left for Ujjaini. However, Mallika firmly refused, saying that her love for Kalidas was purely emotional and did not need any relationship or name. At Mallika's insistence, Kalidas went to the capital.

Years later, Kalidas returned to the village. But this time, he did not come to meet Mallika, nor did he inquire about her during all these years. Despite this, Mallika's selfless and pure love remained unchanged. She kept saving money and requested traders coming from the capital to buy copies of Kalidas's works. Meanwhile, Kalidas married a princess from the Gupta dynasty, and the king of Ujjaini assigned him the responsibility of governing Kashmir. On his way to Kashmir, Kalidas visited the village and agreed to stay for a day at the request of the princess. 

The princess wanted to meet Mallika, whom Kalidas always spoke about. She asked Mallika to come with them, but Mallika refused. The princess then proposed that Mallika marry one of her servants, but Mallika declined this offer as well. After the princess left, Ambika taunted Mallika, saying, "See the result of your selfless love. Kalidas sent his wife to make you his servant." However, Mallika remained silent on the matter.

The story moves forward a few years. Mallika's mother passed away, and her uncle built a nice house in the village. Mallika still lived in her dilapidated home, surrounded by Kalidas's books. Through her uncle, Mallika learned that Kalidas had renounced the throne and become an ascetic in Kashi. Mallika could not believe it. At that moment, the door opened, and Kalidas appeared before her, covered in dust, mud, and water, with torn clothes. Upon meeting after years, they both shed tears. Kalidas explained why he had not met Mallika all these years. Despite being away, all his writings were inspired by Mallika. Kalidas said, "I wanted you to read all this." Mallika brought all his writings and said, "I have read all your works." Kalidas wanted to start anew, but the sound of a child crying interrupted them. Vilom entered and informed Kalidas that Mallika had married him. 

Mallika had spent much of her life waiting for Kalidas. Kalidas realized he was too late and left Mallika to her fate. Mallika was once again left alone within the four walls of her home. The play ends here.

In their roles as Kalidas and Mallika, Agastya Hardik Nagda and Harshita Sharma captivated the audience with their performances. Umang Soni as the uncle, Arshad Qureshi as Vilom, Urvashi Kanwarani as Ambika, Riya Nagdev as the princess Priyangu Manjari, and Yash Jain as Nikshap made a significant impact with their acting. Neha Shrimali as Rangini, Khushi Negi as Sangini, Divyansh Dabi in dual roles as Dantul and Anuswar, and Parth Singh Chundawat as Anunasik also performed admirably.

In the backstage roles, Yash Shakdweepi handled music coordination, Rekha Sisodia managed music direction, Ashfaq Noor Khan Pathan was in charge of lighting design and operation, Yogita Sisodia handled makeup and costumes, Mohammed Rizwan Mansoori took care of stage construction, and Dharmesh Pratap Singh, Harsh Dubey, Chakshu Singh, Kushagra Bhatia, Aanchal Gandhi (painting), and Faseeh Khan (photography) contributed significantly to the success of the performance.

**Poster Unveiling**

After the play concluded, the artists unveiled the poster for their upcoming play, "Oxygen." Written and directed by Ashfaq Noor Khan Pathan, the founder of Theaterwood Company, this play will be the next production by the group.

**Program Coordinator**

Ashfaq Noor Khan Pathan  
Natyaansh Society of Dramatic and Performing Arts