RangYatra : AnandRaghunandan

Gurwinder Singh (Light Designer of Anand Raghunandan 

Life is wonderful when S(HE) starts blessing you to live your passion. These days the same is happening to me. Anand Raghunandan chapter of my RangYatra started when all of a sudden one day I received a call from Mr. Prasanna Soni from Sidhi Madhya Pradesh asking me to handle the lights for his upcoming production. As I had already seen his work during his visit to Jalandhar, it took me no longer to say yes. I could recall Sidhi quite well because of my last visit which was too about theater. Reaching there I was taken to room by Mr. Ravi Shankar Bharti a veteran actor of Rangdoot and pass out from M.P. School of Drama. There after the very same day I met my friend Mr. Neeraj Kunder Sidhi, role model for many of the building theater activists’ across the country. He took me to his office where we had a cup of tea with Mr. Shiv Shankar Mishra Saras and discussed about theater and existence of God Vs Knowledge. I can not afford to mention Gangotri Restaurant and his owner Mr. Satish Gupta, who seems to have paid a significant contribution towards theater in Sidhi. At the stroke of midnight when the whole world was sleeping, the much awaited Mr. Sugriv Vishwakarma, with whom I was requested to share room entered. He made all the beautiful props and creative masks for the play. This was the second person of the production I met. I found him so committed to his work and image, and yet so down to earth. Interacting him made me feel glad and seeing his work made me feel honored. He is such master of his craft after Dr. Satyabrata Rout. 

Diksir is kidnapping to Mahuja in the play Anand Raghunandan

Attending the first rehearsal I happen to meet the other master, the master of melody, the composer, the arranger, the man behind the sound of the play Dr. Abhishek Tripathi from Rewa. Listing to his compositions I felt perhaps Ramayna must have had originally happened in Bagheli. Outstanding compositions by an outstanding composer...Bravo... Here I must mention yet another legendary person, who was consistently present as a strong pillar of the production Mr. Ashok Tiwari. He kept guiding everyone right in time to be precise and appropriate. Every creative process need some break to refresh-n-up and this task was well taken care by Mr. Dhruv who was always there when we felt exhausted and need some break. His hospitality and surprise party at MaadaPani was a memorable trip. During the rehearsals the acting part was well taken care by Mrs. Bharti Sharma Soni. Besides being just better half she was a real asset for the production. Complimenting the acting and music the well designed choreographies in folk style were prepared by renowned Mr. Pravin Nageshwar from Balaghat. The play was supposed to be staged in Manas Bhawan on 7th and 8th March.

The Artist of Rangdoot are performing the play Anand Raghunandan 

As I quite often use the phrase “नाटक वालों के साथ नाटक नहीं होगा, तो फिर और किस के साथ होगा” it did happen with Mr. Prasanna Soni too when,

1. The Municipal Council uprooted the whole road in front of the venue on the show day

2. The authorities refused to cooperate about the stage light settings one night before the show day.

3. The local administration occupied the venue for the whole day for some local event in-spite of the official booking for the play.

4. The ATMs and banks refused to give money due to strike for the whole week.

But

फलक को ज़िद है जहाँ बिजलियाँ गिराने की,

हमारी भी ज़िद है वहीँ आशियाँ बनाने की...

Mr. Prasanna Soni (Team Rangdoot Sidhi) managed to conduct two consecutive shows of Anand Raghunandan one after another.

It was honour to have Mr. Sangam Pandey, renowned theater critic from Delhi in the audience. The entire show went off well. Way back got a chance to visit the White Tiger Safari at Rewa; Tulsi Ghat, Assi Ghat, Kashi-Vishwnath, Kaal Bhairav, Saarnath at Banaras; take bath in Sangam at Prayag and meet an old friend and theater scholar Mr. Pankaj Pandey. RangYatra chapter Anand Raghunandan ends on Holi at Jalandhar. Thanks Mr. Prasanna Soni and entire team Rangdoot Sidhi for choosing me to be a part of this epic production.