Historical Drama “Jyotirmayi Padmini” written by SP Mamgai launched
By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 30 June: The book launch of the historical drama “Jyotirmayi Padmini,” written by renowned theater artist and founder of Meghdoot Theater, SP Mamgai, was held on Sunday in a simple yet dignified ceremony at the auditorium of Doon Library and Research Center.
The former Director of Higher Education of Uttarakhand and eminent educationist, Dr Savita Mohan, was the Chief Guest on this occasion, while the ceremony was presided over by Thakur Bhawani Pratap Singh, the cultural torchbearer of the Tehri royal family. Dr Yogesh Dhasmana and Mohammad Iqbal Azar were special guests at the event.
In her address, Dr Savita Mohan said that artists bring any plot to life through their voice and acting, and when the audience immerses themselves in a play and finds themselves in it, that is the success of the play. She said that when the writer’s emotions reach the audience through the actor, and the audience is mesmerized and lost in it, the writing of the play is considered successful. She mentioned that drama is an ancient art form of India and also referred to Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra.
Dr Mohan further highlighted the character portrayal of Padmini, stating that historians have differing opinions on this character, but the narrative with which Malik Muhammad Jayasi created “Padmavat” is unique in itself and cannot be considered merely a poet’s imagination. She discussed the arguments of historians about the relative and absolute aspects of Padmini and mentioned that the Sufi poet Jayasi has described a period that is unique in itself. She urged artists to keep the hunger for acting alive within them, stating that living the character of a play is akin to attaining Brahma.
In his address, Dr Yogesh Dhasmana said that writing and presenting plays in today’s times is a challenging task, and the dedication with which Mamgai is doing this work is certainly commendable. He also elaborated on the theatrical tradition of Uttarakhand and the contributions of people who have worked in this field.
Mohammad Iqbal Azar stated that Mamgai’s work is a source of inspiration for the new generation and that his contribution to the field of theater is significant.
Thakur Bhawani Prasad Singh congratulated Mamgai and urged him to make the glorious tales of Garhwal the subject matter of his plays. He mentioned topics such as Maharani Karnavati, Fateh Prakash, and some others, stating that these historical subjects of Uttarakhand have not yet been explored, and work should be done on them through the medium of theater. He also offered appropriate support for this.
Before this, all the guests were honored with shawls.
Theater artist SP Mamgai expressed his gratitude to all the attendees. It is noteworthy that Mamgai lives theater as a mission and has nurtured many new talents so far.
Mamgai said that he prepared this theatrical book after thorough research and study, and it is available as a plot for theater artists.
During the program, some excerpts from the drama “Jyotirmayi Padmini” were also performed by artists. On this occasion, musician Ramcharan Juyal accompanied the artists with Hudka and Mochang.
The skilled artist of Meghdoot Theater, Mitali Punetha, expressed gratitude. The program was conducted by senior journalist Dinesh Shastri.
On this occasion, senior theater artist Avi Nanda, senior journalist Jay Singh Rawat, Doon Library’s Chandrashekhar Tiwari, senior litterateur Neeraj Naithani, Meghdoot’s Uttam Banduni, Sapna Gulati, Siddharth Dangwal, Sunil Tanwar, Vijay Dabral, Ashok Mishra, Nand Kishore Tripathi, Savitri Uniyal, Girivijay Dhoundiyal, Anshuman Sajwan, Virendra Mamgai, Anjali Budhakoti, Gokul Panwar, Meghdoot’s secretary Dinesh Baudai, Surendra Singh Sajwan, and Praveen Bhatt from Samay Sakshya Publications, along with many students and dignitaries, were present.
