Kemmu's
'Shah Pathar' staged at Abhinav Theatre
By Kashmir Sentinel Correspondent
Sh. Moti Lal Kemu who pioneered
the rebirth of Kashmiri folk theatre 'Bhand Pathr' is known to give surprises. This time he has come
up with 'Shah Pathr'. The play was staged at Abhinav
Theatre on November 27. It was written and directed by Kemu himself.
The play written in 1993-1994 revolves round the
story of Sultan Budshah who applied balm
 to the wounds of hounded out Kashmiri Pandits. It is said once Budshah fell acutely ill due to a boil. Kashmiri
Pandits were in hiding due to strong religious persecution of Budshah's father,
Sultan Sikandar the iconoclast. When the Hakims attending on Budshah failed to
cure him, the queen sought help from different quarters. Ultimately, Shriya Bhat, a leading Hakim, who too
was in hiding, was taken to the King for administering treatment. Soon the King
got well. As token of gratitude Budshah asked Shriya Bhat what he desired. The
latter, as the true son of Kashmiris, demanded only one favour--End to the
policy of religious persecution. The King granted it. A new chapter began in
the life of persecuted Pandits. It appears 'Shah
Pathr' has been written to send a
similar message at a time when the predicament of the writer's community is
virtually similar. Sh. Kemu said the objective of the
play was to apprise the younger generation of their traditions of Kashmir.
The play was production of 30-day Kashmiri
Theatre workshop conducted by Natrang in collaboration with Mr. Kemmu for
Displaced Kashmiri boys and girls. The artists who participated in the play
included among others-Sameeta Raina (Maskara), Chandji Kaul (Sultan-e-Kashmir),
Bhasha Sumbli (Begum), Priya Raina (Gopali), Manoj Bhatt (Shriya Bhat etc.).
Reproduced from:
Kashmir
Sentinel,
Panun
Kashmir
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