Chatti ki Ek Rat: A Garhwali Suspense and Superstitious Drama

{Review of Garhwali drama- ‘Chatti ki Ek Rat’ (1970)}

                                        Bhishma Kukreti

    Chatti ki Ek Rat’ is first Garhwali Drama adapted from an Irish drama’ Night in an Inn’ written by Lord Dunsany.   Vishva Mohan Badola (Native Thantholi, Malla Dhangu, Pauri Garhwal)directed the drama ‘Chatti ki Ek Rat’ and the drama was staged in Dehradun in 1970. Initially various creative of Delhi were together to adapt the famous drama ‘Nigh in an inn’. However, at the end, Prem Lal Bhatt took the lead and adapted the same.  

  The drama is about loot of a ruby from an idol from an Indian tribe temple by four sailors. The priests of temple are after these thugs who are hidden in an inn. Priests reached to the inn. By trick, these thugs killed three pundits. However there is another powerful personality and all four thugs are shocked to see the reality.

    There is suspense in every scene of drama. Once, you sit on the theatre seat you can’t leave seat till the end. However, the audience will think about the drama whenever they remember the drama.

    The drama is one of the mile stones of Garhwali theatre which broke the conventional drama structure of Garhwali theatre. The drama has everything required for an audience.  Chatti ki Ek Rat’ paved the way for modernizing the modern Garhwali drama style of theatre.

Reference:

1-Dr Sudharani , 1990, Garhwal ki Jeevit Vibhutiyan

2- Talk with Vishva Mohan Badola

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 14/6/2012