Bareilly – The fourth and final day of the Divisional Theatre Festival, organized for the first time in Bareilly under the joint auspices of Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lucknow, and SRMS Riddhima, witnessed the staging of the satirical play Baap Re Baap. The play, written by the late satirist K.P. Saxena, was presented by Kriti, a cultural, educational, and social organization from Lucknow. Directed by Sunil Sonu, the play revolves around the central character, Badri Nath Bhatnagar, the head of the household, who mysteriously disappears one day without informing anyone.
Living with his son Vikas, daughter-in-law Meenu, and servant Noor Baksh, Badri Nath’s sudden disappearance causes panic within the family. As the search begins, neighbors and relatives speculate on various reasons for his absence. Vikas suspects that his father left due to a disagreement, while Meenu is more concerned about public embarrassment, believing that her father-in-law has eloped with someone. Meanwhile, the household servant Noor enjoys the chaos, treating the situation as a source of amusement.
Vikas eventually files a missing person report with the police, but due to a lack of immediate action, he offers a reward for anyone who finds his father. This announcement leads to a hilarious turn of events as several impostors arrive, each claiming to be Vikas’s father to claim the prize money. Just as the confusion peaks, Badri Nath returns home and explains that he had informed Meenu about his trip to Kanpur to visit a friend. However, Meenu, distracted by a phone call, had failed to register his words, leading to the entire commotion.
The play was filled with humorous moments that had the audience roaring with laughter. The central role of Badri Nath was played by Ankit Kumar, while director Sunil Sonu himself portrayed the character of Vikas. Pihu Gupta played the role of Meenu, and Ankur Saxena took on the role of the servant, Noor Baksh. Other notable performances included Jyoti Singh (Mili), Sachin Mishra (Milkman), Prince Sonkar (Pandit Anokhe Lal Tiwari), Ankit Srivastava (Fazal Chacha), Sachin Mishra (Fake Father), and Ravi Kashyap (Mute Father), all of whom were applauded for their stellar performances.
The play’s stage management was handled by Sachin and Ankit, while costumes were designed by Surbhi Dixit and Arnavi Dixit. The music was directed by Himanshu Kashyap, and lighting arrangements were managed by Mohammad Hajez.
The event was graced by esteemed personalities, including SRMS Trustee Asha Murti, Usha Gupta, Drama Director of Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Shailja Kant, Dr. Prabhakar Gupta, Dr. Anuj Kumar, Dr. Shailendra Saxena, Dr. Rita Sharma, event coordinator Pappu Verma, Sanjay Math, Nishant Agarwal, and Bareilly All India Radio and Doordarshan Program Head Dr. Vinay Singh, among others. The presence of such distinguished guests further highlighted the significance of the event in promoting theatre and cultural appreciation in the region.
Report by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena, Bareilly
