Kathmandu: Having to choose between saving the mother or the child during a complicated pregnancy is a trope adopted by many movies and plays as their narrative crux. Adopting such tropes simplifies the plot, adding nothing but predictable melodrama.
photo: mandala theatre |
Directed
by Kedar Shrestha and produced by Dayahang Rai, the play ‘DhukDhuki 72
Megahertz’ revolves around the same theme. However, its layered narrative
breaks free from cliched storytelling.
The
play opens with the wife (Menuka Pradhan) caressing her baby bump. Her husband
(Karma) enters the stage, and affectionate banter follows. The couple shares
their views on life, patriarchy, motherhood, and love.
As
the conversation unfolds to its depth, the audience learns that the wife is a
teacher interested in writing poetry, while the husband is an artist by
profession.
During
their conversation, the actors explore ongoing yet concealed discourses about
patriarchy. This dismantles the belief that men alone are the enforcers of
patriarchy. It highlights how patriarchal settings influence women to think and
act in a patriarchal way, manifesting in their behaviour and beliefs.
As
the play progresses, lighting stands out as a powerful tool. It complements the
depth of the dialogues, which are rich in literature and philosophy. One
dialogue, “To understand light, one must first experience darkness,” is
accompanied by the husband lighting the dim stage. This lighting shift shows
the synchrony between the stage setting and the dialogues.
In
one scene, the couple is preparing for a maternity photoshoot. The husband
teases his wife, questioning the ideologies she once subscribed to. The wife
says with conviction, “The heart has defeated the mind. I want to experience
the full essence of motherhood.”
Her
dialogue reflects the inner complexities of human beings, which are as sublime
as a river. This scene taps into human beings’ raw and unfiltered nature, which
is untainted and untouched by the weight of any ideological grandeur.
Through
the exchange of dialogues between the wife and the husband, the writer of this
play is also seen to be critiquing the audience’s tendency to seek definitive
interpretations of art instead of trusting their understanding.
This
is evident when the husband complains to his wife about a visitor at his art
exhibition, who keeps hurling questions at him about his artwork.
This
scene reminded me of the time when I watched the movie ‘Shambhala’. After the
film’s end, a viewer asked the cast what happened at the end, hinting at a need
for closure rather than relying on their interpretation of the film.
As
the couple prepares for their photoshoot, the husband kisses his wife’s baby
bump, saying, “Even husbands have some elements of motherhood in them.”
This
scene scored laughter from the audience. Through this scene, the director was
clever enough to satirise such men who contribute little at home yet consider
themselves paragons of balance between work and family.
As
the play progresses to its main plot, the wife is admitted to the hospital. The
husband receives devastating news about complications in his wife’s pregnancy.
The play now deals with a difficult juncture: is the baby to be saved or the
mother?
The
wife decides to save the baby. Next, the duo argue, during which the husband
questions her willingness to leave him behind. However, the wife firmly defends
her agency, asserting her right to decide for her body.
Menuka
Pradhan (left) and Karma in a scene from the play. Photo: Courtesy of Mandala
Theatre
After
this scene, the extensive cries and wallows may lead one to perceive the play
as celebrating women asserting their rights. However, the true beauty of the
play lies in its refusal to glorify any particular theme. Instead, it presents
the reality of individuals navigating their ideologies and emotions.
The
wife epitomises the idea that ‘you cannot philosophise your way out of a
traffic jam,’ which means that one’s feelings and innate experiences shape and
dictate the paths for us to walk on.
The
long pauses taken by the cast amplify the essence of the play, allowing them to
immerse themselves in the emotions they convey on stage. For instance, after
putting on a brave face about the complications of the pregnancy in front of
his wife, the husband breaks down alone in the hospital. This scene acts as a
cathartic release, both for the character and the audience.
The
stage design remains consistent throughout the play, with elements creatively
adapted to serve multiple purposes. A prominent feature is the tree in the
middle of the stage. It acts as a symbol of many things. Initially, the tree
represents nature and serves as a space where the wife and the husband share
their deepest feelings.
Similarly,
the picture of the baby in the womb is projected in the tree, depicting the
natural essence of childbirth. In grief, the wife always goes near the tree and
converses with herself. Her inclination towards the tree reflects her need for
connection to the natural world.
Likewise,
both characters' conversation about love takes the form of a tough love talk.
During one exchange, the wife defines love as “Something to be felt, and that
feeling is never going to be lost.” This subjectifies the definition of love.
In this way, the play has tried to give meaning to the undefined emotion of
love.
The
play's thematic resonance occurs when the audience is made to see the vision
seen by the wife. In her vision, the wife hears her baby speaking to her while
still in the womb. When she asks how the child can speak, the child explains
that it can communicate and feel everything the mother feels through the
umbilical cord.
This
connection is akin to a radio—when plugged in, it plays music. The radio serves
a recurring role throughout the play, with a love song by Kumar Sanu being
played.
Just
as the radio connects to the music, the umbilical cord connects the mother and
child, much like the baby’s voice, which can be seen as a love song for the
mother.
This
is where the concept of ‘DhukDhuki’ ties in. For many, hearing Kumar Sanu’s
love song makes their DhukDhuki (heartbeat) rise. For mothers, hearing their
baby’s voice is their true ‘DhukDhuki’, a heartbeat of love and connection.
The
wife talks about how ‘DhukDhuki’ is a metaphor for life’s continuity. For her,
the DhukDhuki symbolises the growing baby inside her, once again reflecting the
natural process of life.
In
this sense, the baby represents nature’s everlasting cycle, and the love the
wife has for her child symbolises the importance of love, highlighting how
essential love is in an individual's life.
The
play, which runs for 90 minutes with just two actors, is an exemplary display
of artistry. The actor’s ability to laugh and cry convincingly on stage
deserves commendation.
The
story suits anyone looking to forget societal norms and expectations and
immerse themselves in a deeply cathartic experience.
DhukDhuki
72 Megahertz
Director:
Kedar Shrestha
Cast:
Menuka Pradhan, Karma
Where:
Mandala Theatre, Thapagaun, Kathmandu
Showtimes:
Every day at 5:30 pm (except Monday) and an extra 1:00 pm show on Saturday
until December 1.
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