80 minutes of awesomeness

We must have seen several plays on various subjects staged at various places. But the monologue ‘5 Grains of Sugar’, staged at Lamakaan on Friday evening, was a touch different. The monologue was presented by Aashish Maegh who took on the roles of a middling youngster Rajkumar, the poet Pundalik and Radhe, Mahatma Gandhi’s walking stick.

Rajkumar broods over the quality of his life. When Pundalik says that poetry is fighting with oneself, Rajkumar thinks that he has been doing that since ages. The monologue explains usage of the word ‘ok’ in our daily lives. Through Rajkumar’s perspective, it shows how ok stands on a thin line between the good and bad. Rajkumar says that his life has been ok till date.

After Rajkumar reminisces about various instances from his life, Pundalik recites his poems. Then, Gandhi’s walking stick, Radhe, comes next in the life of Rajkumar. As the monologue enters the conflict, Pundalik comes to Rajkumar’s place and requests him to send his diary of poems to Tarachand Jaiswal, a publisher, and leaves. Rajkumar is confused as to why Pundalik himself hadn’t sent the diary. However, he sends the diary and receives a letter by the publisher a few days later stating that interest in publishing his poems and wanted one last poem to complete the book that would be credited to Rajkumar.

Rajkumar was never a poet and finds it difficult to pen a poem. Following his mother’s untimely death, he wants to leave and go somewhere far. But before that he has to write a poem for the book to be published. He struggles to write like Pundalik. He finally pens down a poem about 5 grains of sugar and the ants that come to pick it up. Rajkumar places grains of sugar to bring the ants in the direction he desires. He ends up thinking that someone was playing a game with him as he was with the ants.

With this beautiful comparison, Rajkumar empties the whole jar of sugar and leaves his house. The 80 minute monologue was truly captivating and very well executed.

By Tushar Kalawatia