Bareilly: A powerful theatrical performance of the socially conscious play “Saanch” was staged at SRMS Riddhima, leaving the audience deeply moved with its compelling message against gender-based violence, abuse of power, and growing insensitivity in society.
Written by Dr. Prabhakar Gupta and Ashwani Kumar and directed by Vinayak Kumar Srivastava, the play explored the challenges faced by individuals who choose to stand up for truth and justice in the face of intimidation and political influence.
The story revolves around Sonia, a working woman who commutes by train. During one of her journeys, she becomes the target of harassment by three young men—Vicky, Rohit, and Nayan. When Aryan, a fellow passenger, intervenes to protect her, the accused brutally assault him and throw him from the moving train, leading to his death.
The plot takes a dramatic turn when the police arrest the three accused, only for it to emerge that Vicky is the nephew of influential local legislator Verma. Political pressure is then exerted on Sonia and her fiancé Abhishek to alter her statement and portray Aryan as the culprit. Faced with threats to her life and the safety of her family, Sonia initially succumbs to pressure and changes her testimony.
However, haunted by her conscience and inspired by the symbolic appearance of Aryan’s spirit, Sonia ultimately decides to tell the truth in court. In the climactic courtroom sequence, she courageously recounts the actual events, leading to the conviction of the three accused. The court also orders legal proceedings against the legislator and the police inspector for attempting to influence witnesses and obstruct justice.
The production effectively conveyed the importance of standing up against wrongdoing and reaffirmed that truth ultimately prevails over fear and manipulation. The audience responded enthusiastically to the play’s strong social message and realistic portrayal of contemporary issues.
The cast delivered notable performances throughout the production. Ashish Kashyap portrayed Vicky, Shiva Sharma played Rohit, Himanshu Shukla appeared as Nayan, and Cheshta Maurya impressed the audience in the lead role of Sonia. Gaurav Karki played Aryan, while Subodh Shukla portrayed Inspector Vijay. Other key performances came from Sonalika Saxena as Sonia’s mother, Manesh Yadav as Abhishek, Manoj Sharma as the defence lawyer, Aarushi Mishra as Aryan’s sister, Anmol Mishra as Aryan’s lawyer and narrator, Durgesh Mishra as a constable, Pratham Sharma as a court employee, Shivam Yadav as MLA Verma, and Nishant Kumar as the judge. Vishnu Yadav and Nishant Kumar also played fellow train passengers.
The production was further enhanced by a strong musical presentation led by violinist Suryakant Chaudhary. Vocal support was provided by Guru Priyanka Gwal and Sattvik Mishra, while instrumental accompaniment featured Amar Nath on tabla and Derrick Aman James on keyboard. Vishesh Kumar handled music mixing, and Vishnu Yadav managed recorded sound operations.
Technical support for the production included sound management by Arun Saini and Zafar Sound, while lighting operations were overseen by Jaswant Singh, contributing significantly to the overall impact of the performance.
The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including SRMS Trust Founder and Chairman Dev Murti, Asha Murti, Aditya Murti, Richa Murti, Devisha Murti, Usha Gupta, Dr. Rajni Agrawal, Subhash Mehra, Dr. Prabhakar Gupta, Dr. Anuj Kumar, Dr. Shailesh Saxena, Dr. Ashish Kumar, Dr. Rita Sharma, and numerous prominent citizens of Bareilly.
The staging of “Saanch” was widely appreciated for its thought-provoking narrative and its powerful call for truth, justice, and social responsibility in contemporary society.
Report: Akhilesh Chandra Saxena, Bareilly
