Ruchira in DifferentTruths.com celebrates Asmita Theatre Group’s riveting Andha Yug, echoing Mahabharata’s anti-war perils amid NCR’s theatre bonanza. 

Theatre lovers in and around the National Capital Region (NCR) have lately been enjoying a bonanza of plays thanks to the recently concluded NSD festival and the ongoing platinum Jubilee of Triveni Kala Sangam. The other day, I watched Andha Yug, the iconic creation of renowned Hindi novelist, poet, and playwright Dharamveer Bharati. 

Against the backdrop of the last day of the great Mahabharata war, this five-act tragedy was written in the post-1947 partition era. It is, in fact, an allegory for the destruction of human lives and ethical values during that time. The work illustrates how war dehumanises both individuals and society. Ultimately, both the victor and the vanquished suffer losses.

Based on the ancient Sanskrit magnum opus, the Mahabharata, written by Ved Vyasa, the story unfolds on the eighteenth and last day of the Great Mahabharata War, when the Pandavas and Kauravas were fiercely locked in feuds and bickering; meanwhile, the magnificent capital city of Hastinapur lay burning, utterly ruined. The battleground Kurukshetra was dotted with corpses, and skies above were filled with birds of carrion; mourning and lamenting by scores of widows and bereaved mothers rent the air. There were humongous casualties on both sides. 

The survivors were left grieving and enraged as they continued to mudsling, blaming each other for the disaster. No one was willing to introspect or view it as the consequence of their own moral choices.

For instance, Ashwatthama, son of Guru Dronacharya, in one last-ditch act of revenge against the Pandavas, released the ultimate lethal weapon, the Brahmastra, powerful enough to annihilate mankind. Yet, sadly enough, no one came forward to condemn it.  Ethics and humanity appeared to be stamped out of the soil.

Lord Krishna, who had all along mediated between the warring cousins, remains the central figure of the play. Even in his failure, he presents options that are ethical and just, suggesting that a much nobler, sober method is always viable, even in the worst of times. The play ends with the death of the Lord.

Andha Yug highlights the perils of self-enchantment; it further explores human capacity for moral action, reconciliation, and goodness in times of atrocity and reveals what happens when individuals succumb to the cruelty and cynicism of a blind, dispirited age.

A highly incompetent, inefficient monarch is symbolised by a blind Dhritarashtra. Apart from his physical handicap, his soaring ambition for his oldest offspring, Duryodhana, also blinds him.

Bharati uses the Mahabharata war to make an anti-war statement, raising questions about moral uprightness in the wake of Partition-related atrocities, loss of faith and national identity. The message that he wants to send across is: the perils that befall a society if it turns away from its wisdom culture, opting to succumb to impulsive logic or get swayed by emotions.

Although Andha Yug, as a play, has been staged by numerous theatrical groups at various locales, the one in question, presented by the reputed Asmita Theatre Group, did a highly commendable job. The costumes, lighting, and sound effects (to depict myriad moods and reactions), not forgetting the overall stage decoration, were done to perfection.

Visuals sourced by the reviewer.

Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh

Born in Guwahati and raised across Delhi and Punjab, Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh is an alumna of Sacred Heart Convent, Ludhiana. She holds a master’s degree in English literature from Punjab University, Chandigarh, and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism. With nearly 25 years of experience in print, web, and television media, she has carved a niche as a feature writer. Her writing focuses on women’s issues, food, travel, and literature, reflecting both versatility and depth.