This blog is in response to the thinking activity of the novel Hard times by Charles Dickens assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, the Department of English, MKBU. In this blog I am going to reflect my understanding of the Hindi play adaptation of the Hard Times directed by Kiran Deep Sharma.
HARD TIMES:
Charles Dickens (1812–1870) published this ‘Condition of England’ novel in 1854. His setting was a mythical place called Coketown, partly inspired by a visit to the Northern industrial town of Preston where he had observed a strike. Dickens was motivated by social concerns: he feared that industrialization and ‘progress’ threatened to stunt human sympathies, forcing people into mechanistic social roles. He conveys what life was like in factory towns by blending documentary realism with imaginative grotesques and vivid, melodramatic elements. Thomas Gradgrind, a staunch advocate of rules and principles, has raised his children in a cold, loveless atmosphere. His Utilitarian philosophy is based upon rational self-interest. The text draws a marked contrast between Fact and Fancy – for the residents of Coketown, delight is found only in the entertainments provided by Sleary's circus.
In this I am going to write a review of "Hard Times", a musical adaptation in Hindi of Dickens' novel of the same name, by Khilona Theater for Children. This Hindi adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel “Hard Times”, mounted by Khilona Theatre to teach humanistic values to children in a fun way. The play is having an element of didacticism in a clear and concise way, while Hardy gives it by the representation of his characters and storyline. And this is an excellent way to keep the audience's attention and let them think what will be the next.
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Direction and costume design:- - Kiran Deep Sharma
Adaptation and editing - V.K. Sharma, Kiran Deep Sharma Lyrics V.K. Sharma
Music direction - Kashish Sharma
Voice training and flute - Esra Seher Jung
Cast:-
Aarti Vasan - Jane and Josephine
Aakash Hingorani - Josiah Bounderby, clown
Abhishekh - Childers, Jupe, doctor. Chitra clown, Mrs. Pegler -
Isha Mrs. Gradgrind, Mrs. Sparsit -
Jyotsana - Louisa
Kajori - Rachel
KiranDeep Sharma - singer
Kunal - Tom, clown
Lakshya Goel - Stephen, narrator, stuntman Prakash Mr. Sleary, James Harthouse.
Pulkit - butler, clown
Santosh - Dilkhush, circus crowd
Saif Bitzer, stuntman Sajid Anwer Mr. Choakumchild, Kidder, Stephen's wife
Shubham - Sissy
Sudipto Banerjee - Mr. Gradgrind
V.K. Sharma - narrator
This adaptation is in a Play, not movie. We can understand that it is very much difficult to convert a Novel into a play. Whole Novel is adapted by this play very well.
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Play starts with a story which is described by two characters that have no trace in the novel i.e.(sutradhar and natt) who build an outline of the story for the audience. They gave one statement like, "why such a old story". Novel is converted in to play. novel performed as Play/Drama. That's why novels all characters and dialogues both are same in Drama.
So, Novel is divided into 3 parts:
1.Sowing.
2.Reaping.
3.Garnering.
And in this play, play divided into same three parts.
1. sowing:
Novels and play started with same scene. scene of school. In this scene school master teach you should follow FACT/FACT/FACT... After that half of part is finished there is another song which is sing by play's character this song is making satire on Machines.
2.Reaping:
-In this scene we can see situation of working class people. one character Stephan Blackpool(one servant in company of Josiah Bounderby.) whole scene is based on situation of working class people.
3.Garnering:
In this last scene whole story came to end. In this scene we see that Emotional and Sentiments, vs Logic and Reasons. After this we can see a theme of urban life vs rural life. And we can see industrial revolution.
Themes:-
Industrialism
Facts vs Fancy
Materialism
Class distinction
Female representation
Starting and Ending:-
The Novel begins with a scene of the school classrooms where Mr. Gradgrind tells Mr. McChoakumchild to teach girls and boys facts. The Novel begins by the sentence,
"Now what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts."
. The play contains the same, but initially Sutradhar says about the novels to the audience. Like starting play ends with he suggestions and answers but now with a song.
Use of Sutradhar and Nat:-
Sutradhar plays an important part in Indian drama. The major need of this character is to unfold truths which are not presented directly. It gives relief to the audience. It is sometimes used for a didactic purpose also. So in Hindi play adaptation of the novel Hard Times is also having the same elements.
Initially Sutradhar says about the novels to the audience and Nat. In the initial conversation, both talk about the story and fiction. To reply to his question about the Didactic element of the story, Sutradhar says that each story teaches us something, but if the aim of the story is not to teach, our imagination lets us pick good things from it.
In the same part Nat admits that he hasn't read the novel as he is only concerned with his dialogues. In the entertainment industry, there are so many actors like or actors of Hard Times who have only concern with his own part, not about the whole story.
Here Sutradhar gives information about the novel, like, it is set in an imaginary city “Coketown” and gives clarification of what Coketown means. They expose how the education system represented by Mr. Gradgrind is connected with modern times. They also give an introduction to the significance of the names of characters. Like,
Mr. Gradgrind:- who grinds the minds of students
Mr. Chokumchild:- who is choking information in the large scale to students' brains.
Through the play Sutradhar constantly makes us busy to find out the hidden things.
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