Jammu, Aug 30: Natrang presented a powerful theatrical adaptation of Munshi Prem Chand’s celebrated short story Kafan today at Natrang Studio Theatre as part of its Sunday Theatre Series. The production was directed by Neeraj Kant.

Written decades ago by one of India’s most celebrated and visionary writers, Kafan remains remarkably relevant and timeless. The story continues to convey a powerful message to the present generation and to generations to come.
Sharing his thoughts on the production, Natrang Director Balwant Thakur said that Kafan is a sharp and poignant satire on the degradation of human values, while also exposing the darker realities of poverty, despair and addiction. He said that Natrang has consistently endeavoured to bring the world’s immortal literary works to the stage, and the present production was yet another effort in that direction.
Before the performance began, the Natrang family observed a two-minute silence in memory of eminent Indian theatre personality Satish Anand, who passed away yesterday following a brief illness.
The play revolves around Ghisu and Madhav, a father and son who work as labourers in a village and live in extreme poverty. Madhav’s wife is in the final stages of pregnancy and desperately needs medical attention, which the impoverished family is unable to afford. As she cries out in unbearable pain, Ghisu and Madhav remain helpless spectators. Eventually, she dies during childbirth, leaving the father and son to confront an even deeper crisis.
With no money or means to perform her last rites, they are faced with the grim reality of her dead body lying in their hut. They approach the villagers for financial assistance and, after considerable effort, manage to collect enough money to purchase a shroud for the deceased woman.
However, when the time comes to buy the shroud, Ghisu and Madhav abandon the idea and spend the donated money on liquor instead. To ease their guilt, they rationalise their decision by convincing themselves that a dead woman has no use for a piece of cloth and that what she needs is only blessings.
The production brings into sharp focus the destructive monster of alcoholism, making Prem Chand’s story strikingly relevant even in contemporary times. It highlights how addiction can destroy not only an individual’s life but also the lives of those dependent upon them. People trapped in alcoholism may have nothing to eat or nothing with which to feed their families, yet may go to extraordinary lengths to arrange money for liquor.
Kafan, which translates as Shroud in English, presents a disturbing picture of the degradation of human values and takes the audience to one of the lowest depths of human existence. The production leaves a deeply unsettling yet thought-provoking impression, compelling viewers to reflect on poverty, addiction, social apathy and the erosion of human compassion.
The young Natrang actors who performed in the play were Pawan Verma, Kushal Bhat, Aryan Sharma, Aadesh Dhar and Narinder Verma.
The lights were designed and executed by Neeraj Kant, while the music was rendered by Pawan Verma.