Shaadi Ke Mandap Mein belongs to the Raju Srivastav school of thought - hard-hitting comedy on Indian patriarchy, delivered pleasantly. Written with maturity and care, the story includes such contemporary features as marriage between a local girl and an NRI, marrying to a person of one's choice and children commanding their way around parents.
All the characters are created meaningfully. At the heart of the plot is that the girl who is about to get married, Anjana Ahluwalia, insists that she will not overlook the fact that her sister's husband, Param Badhania, made a pass at her and had been flirtatious towards her. Her stubbornness on the marriage day itself throws up many questions. It gives food for thought on many aspects â€" is it just female ego that stops Anjana from letting go of the matter because after all, she wasn't subject to abuse or pressure? It also makes the audience thinks about the fact that old values of keeping strict physical distance is a thing of the past. It also talks about how petty and shallow everyone in the world really is, with scant care for the things that matter the most.
The actors perform exceedingly well. Even though they are of a limited age bracket, they are able to portray the entire range of age groups well. The role of the girl's father, played by Prince, leaves an impact because he is the only one who has to bend before everyone, including his daughter, to ensure that the marriage takes place. Amongst the characters that most stand-out are Sumi Baghel, who plays a woman with a husband who may be in the brink of philandering, Guneet Singh gives several comic moments, and Param Badhania plays his part of a miffed man well. Even the roles of those who barge into the scene such as guests looking to eat sweets evince laughter.
The costumes and make-up are done exceedingly well because the characters look their part. The play does not leave much room for improvement. All the scenes and lines are written and performed well, which gives an indication of how rigorous the rehearsals may have been. The comedy is also a family watch and can be hard-hitting too. Many of the plot points in the play have happy endings but in real life this may not be so. For example, the play shows Param as an overall well-meaning brother-in-law. However, this may trigger those who have seen more painful oppression at the hands of such relatives.
The play has travelled quite a bit and it seems that it has the universal appeal to be taken to more places and more audiences. It is noteworthy to have created a play that showcases the talent of all the actors. While path-breaking is not the way to describe it, it is mature and responsible writing with abundant entertainment.
(Tarun Agarwal is the author of a book, Hope Factory).
