Drama on partition at St Francis College

Hyderabad: The Dramatics Association of St Francis College for Women, La Fiesta, the English Department’s club, staged a bilingual play ‘Kabbadi: A Game of Partition’, on Friday. ‘Kabbadi’ showed the disparity, helplessness and most importantly, the confusion that both nations went through.

The dialogues, being in Hindi and English both, transported the audience into the time of the partition, and were very effective in delivering the message of the play, which was to illustrate the goings-on among normal families at the time. The use of a poem by Gulzar was a brilliant move, as it added so much to the plot, as well as the atmosphere of the play. The play received a standing ovation from the audience.

The play was wholly scripted, directed, and produced by the students. The lighting, set, props and sound were beautifully done. The usage of shadow play, subtle lighting, and poetry enhanced the effect. The play showed how ‘Nations were divided, treaties were signed, tanks were loaded, armies were deployed. ‘The world knows the India-Pakistan partition to be one of the bloodiest chapters in history’.

It depicted the Indo- Pak partition, showing multiple plotlines revolving around family- centric scenarios. It portrayed the effects of the partition on the common man. The story showed the confusion that a family faced, torn between staying and moving from their hometown, along with stories of despair of people caught in the divide.