KATHMANDU, May 28: An Indian play ‘A Quiet Desire’ written and directed by Feisal Alkazi and performed by the Ruchika Theatre Group was staged at Army Officer’s Club on Sunday. The play featured actors like Jaipreet Singh, Smita Mazumdar Rajaram and Armaan M Alkazi on the lead while Nandini Sra, Radhika Alkazi, Averee Chaurey, Nikhil Murali and Ashish Dhameja as the narrators. 

‘A Quiet Desire’ is a play based on the early life of Rabindranath Tagore where the plot revolves around the strong bond between Tagore and his sister-in-law Kadambari. The play starts with the characters singing a beautiful Bengali tune and entering the stage.

The story gradually begins to unfold the introduction of the characters as they begin to utter their dialogues.

The plot slightly unveils the story of Tagore, his brother, Jyotirindranath and his sister-in-law, Kadambari. Following the marriage of his elder brother to a nine-year-old Kadambari, Robi’s (Rabindranath Tagore) life takes a new road. Due to the age gap of just two years, Kadambari and Tagore seem to click instantly and develop a strong intimate bond as the years pass by. As a nineteen year old poet, Kadambari becomes Robi’s sole reader, friend, ardent admirer and his one and only inspiration. But the once strong bond starts to crumble slowly as Robi’s fame expands. Kadambari starts feeling left out and all alone as she realizes an increasing gap between her and Robi. She falls deep into depression as Robi’s marriage approaches near and eventually commits suicide when her menacing thoughts overpower her sense of hope. 

The actors were flawless on-stage and they managed to captivate the audience with their magic. They portrayed the characters in a realistic and authentic way and didn’t over do the character’s persona. Their confident strides and crystal clear emotions enthralled the audience. From the attires to the melodious music, every scene added more charm to the play. The dialogues were clearly uttered with pauses and stresses wherever needed and the co-ordination between the characters was praiseworthy. Moreover, the various lights on stage well justified the tensions and climax as the plot thickened. 

However, at times it seemed as if the connection between the audience and the actors broke abruptly when there were too many things going at a time in the play. Though the play had everything that the audience would desire, the proper utilization of curtains during the interval could have added a bit more charm to the play.

 
• a quiet desire
 
• play