Kafan: An Adapted Garhwali Drama based on the story ‘Kafan’ by Prem Chand

Bhishma Kukreti

            There had been attempts for adaptation of famous stories written by famous writer or famous drama in Garhwali Drama world as ‘Chatti ki ek rat’ or ‘Natak Band karo’.

              There had been attempt for adaptation of famous Hindi story ‘Kafan’ written by Prem Chand in Garhwali drama. The story is about two agriculture workers father and son. The wife of son dies at the time of delivering child. Both father and son were busy in satisfying their two days hunger by one potato bulb while the woman was crying for delivery pain. In morning, they find that the woman is no more they go to Jameedar for money for buying ‘Kafan’. The jameedar pays them money for ‘Kafan’. Instead of buying ‘Kafan’, both son and father spend money on wine and munching.

            The story deals with escapism among field workers and the reason for their emotion less behavior.

              From record point of view, Bhishma Kukreti and Sapurn Singh Bisht adapted this story nto Garhwali drama and staged in 1970 in a local social-cultural function of Bhandari Baug residents, Dehradun. Sampurn Singh played father’s role and Bhishma Kukreti played son’s role. Bisht and Kukreti transformed the second half of story into hum our and satire form. The first half of story ‘Kafan’ does not resembles with Garhwali environment. The dialogues by Sampurn Bisht and Bhishma Kukreti of second half of the story suited to Garhwali environment than first half.  There was one dialogue which attracted the attention of audience by son. The father narrates the ‘terhaveen’ feast when Padhan’s mother dies. Then son asks to his father,” ab yi padhanu naunu roj roj kilai ni mardan? Are kuch jeeman khano t mildi!’.

                         The well known Garhwali story writer Kusum Nautiyal also adapted ‘Kafan’ story. She changed the story for clear expression of sensitivity of the subject. The adapted version of   ‘Kafan’ by Kusum Nautiyal was staged in 1980 in Delhi.  

            The biggest problem of adaptation of    ‘Kafan’ in Garhwali is that the environment of villages narrated by Prem Chand in the original story does not suit to rural Garhwal. For example, Prem Chand shows the environment of autumn season and the characters spend night outside of room. In rural Garhwal, nobody spends night out of room in autumn season.

References:

1-Dr Anil Dabral, Garhwali Gady Parampara (Garhwali Dramas from beginning till 1990)

2-Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, Gad Myateki Ganga (Garhwali dramas from beginning till 1975)

3-Dr Sudharani, Garhwal ka  Rangmanch (Garhwali Dramas  from beginning till 1985)

4-Drama special issue of Chitthi Patri magazine (Garhwali Dramas and plays staged in Delhi, Karachi, Mumbai, Dehradun and other places)

5- Dr Hari Datt Bhatt Shailesh, Garhwali Natak evam Rangmanch: Ek Vihngam Avlokan (Garhwali Drams and theatres from beginning till 1985)

6-Dr Bhakt Darshan: Barrister Mukandi Lal Srmriti Granth (Garhwali dramatists or theatres playwrights till 1985

7-Dr Nand Kishor Dhoundiyal, Garhwal ki Divangat Vibhutiyan (pp108-116, about contribution of Bhagwati Prasad Panthri for developing Garhwali drama)

Copyright@ Bhishm Kukreti