Hindu, ARSD, DTU and Lady Irwin participate in theatre competition at Khalsa College

From feminism to corruption and caste discrimination to LGBTQIA+, students of dram socs perform at Delhi University's SGTB Khalsa College for theatre festival

The dramatics societies across Delhi University (DU) colleges are known for igniting the passion for theatre. Especially with their productions centred around raising awareness and sensitivity around various social issues.

Students of Hindu College, DTU, ARSD, Lady Irwin College, ARSD College and more performed participated in Parwaaz at SGTB Khalsa College

These theatre societies (known colloquially as DU dramsocs) that have produced DU theatre soc alumni — from actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to filmmakers Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap — have set acting and Bollywood dreams for several DU aspirants.

Taking this a notch higher, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College (SGTB Khalsa College) in DU's North Campus srecently turned the venue for Parwaaz, an inter-college short play competition organised by Robroo Theatre Group and the Vijay Suri Foundation.

The event witnessed colleges from across Delhi put on 10-minute plays on social issues like gender sensitisation and discrimination, women's safety, systemic corruption, caste discrimination, elder abuse, and blind faith in godmen, to name a few.

Hindu College's English theatre society Masque emerged winner, followed by Delhi Technological University's dramatics and filmmaking society Pratibimb securing the second position. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) College's dramatics society Rangayan placed third, as Lady Irwin College's stage play society Mukhauta earned a special mention for their performance.

Dear Closet by Hindu College

Students of Hindu College dram soc presented a play titled Dear Closet

Hindu College's English theatre society presented the play Dear Closet. Based on gender sensitisation, the production portrays the story of a young boy who is struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality. He attempts to find an anchor during the turbulent time via his mother, his teacher, and even his friend who— caught amid their own belief systems and personal lives — fail to help guide him. Ultimately, the youngster is forced to take the extreme step of taking his own life as he imagines the world that he deserves, highlighting the need for an alternate ending for other young boys in his shoes.

Dweep by DTU

Students of Delhi Technological University (DTU dram soc) presented Dweep

The students of the dramatics and filmmaking society of DTU (Delhi Technological University) performed a play titled Pratibimb. The dramatic narration is set against the background of a college where a female student has been raped. Her identity has not been disclosed, but the incident has become a dinnertime conversation in the households of several students. One such student becomes the protagonist of the play as she fruitlessly tries to sensitise her mother, ask her journalist father to amplify the incident, and tackle eve-teasers in the college.

Case Untitled by ARSD

ARSD College dram soc students presented Case Untitled

The dramatics society of ARSD (Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma) College tried to unfurl the reason behind the piling list of pending cases in the judicial system. In the play Case Untitled, a judge converses with her two legal assistants, who have endless (and clownish) ways of clearing the slate (one among which is to simply put the files through the shredder). Through its whimsical and outlandish humour, the play forces the audience to question who is to blame for the blatant and systemic corruption — Is the public corrupting the system or is the system forcing the public to be corrupt?

Akhir Kab Tak by Lady Irwin College

Students of Lady Irwin College presented Akhir Kab Tak

The stage play society of Lady Irwin College, Mukhauta, highlighted the issues of gender discrimination and women's safety in contemporary society with Akhir Kab Tak. The touching performance centres around an attractive young woman who works in an airline company. As she enters Janpath, a man suddenly grabs and kisses her in broad daylight. Even as she recovers from the assault, passersby offer no help or sympathy. This treatment follows her even as she attempts to juggle filing a complaint, explaining the situation to unsupportive parents, and facing a society that places the entire blame on her while exonerating the assailant, all the while standing up for her rights.

Janeu by Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College

Students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College dram soc Sangharsh presented the silent play Janeu

Introducing a twist to the game, the students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Evening College's dramatics society Sangharsh presented a completely silent play sans any dialogue titled Janue. All one witnesses is a young man wearing a janeu (sacred thread) and shorts as he goes through motions suggesting everyday activities. Soon, we hear a knock, and from the other side emerges a man dressed and behaving identically. The second entrant stabs the first, replacing him, as he continues the journey. The cyclical nature of the play compels the audience to confront the Sisyphean nature of religion, faith, and life itself.

Maa by Motilal Nehru College

Motilal Nehru College students presented their production Maa

The students of Motilal Nehru College brought the issue of elderly abuse and ostracisation to the fore with their production, Maa. The protagonist of the play, who resides with his mother, is up for a promotion. To get a leg up, he invites his boss for dinner at home but decides to confine his mother to her room lest she embarrass him. Showcasing the agony and humiliation of the mother, the story shows poetic justice as the boss cancels the dinner to take care of his own mother who has suddenly fallen ill.

Baba Ki Leela #RaasLeela by Kasturi Ram College of Higher Education

Students of Kasturi Ram College of Higher Education presented Baba Ki Leela #RaasLeela

The students of Kasturi Ram College of Higher Education raised awareness around the blind faith people put in self-proclaimed godmen with Baba Ki Leela #RaasLeela. Placing a question mark on superstitious beliefs even in the face of medical science, the play shows a woman who is desperate for a grandchild, but her son and daughter-in-law have had little success. Despite tests and reports showing that the son is medically unable to produce offspring, the woman places the blame on her daughter-in-law, going as far as to leave her with a baba, leading to a tragic end.

Idgaah Ki Jinnat by ADGITM

Dr Akhilesh Dasgupta Institute Of Professional Studies students presented Idgaah Ki Jinnat

The students of Dr Akhilesh Dasgupta Institute Of Professional Studies (ADGITM) decided the draw the attention of the audience to the issue of youth falling prey to the trappings of terror groups in politically sensitive areas like Jammu and Kashmir. The play Idgaah Ki Jinnat is shown through the eyes of a senior doctor, Dr Begh, whose son was immolated by terrorists, as he witnesses young, educated professionals trying to navigate through life in the union territory.

For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction