Jammu, July 19: Natrang today presented Balwant Thakur’s Hindi play ‘AAG’ under its weekly theatre series ‘Sunday Theatre’ at Rani Park, Jammu. Directed by Neeraj Kant, the powerful production highlighted the devastating impact of drug abuse on society and underscored the urgent need to protect the younger generation from the growing menace of addiction.

The play aligns with the ongoing 100-day Anti-Drug Campaign initiated by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir. Responding to the Lieutenant Governor’s appeal, Natrang has voluntarily staged more than 20 performances to spread awareness through the powerful medium of theatre, adding a meaningful cultural dimension to the campaign.
Speaking on the occasion, eminent theatre personality and playwright Balwant Thakur said that theatre remains one of the most effective mediums for engaging people and inspiring social change. He noted that AAG has been specially written to address the alarming rise in drug addiction and is intended to carry this crucial message into every home across Jammu & Kashmir. He expressed confidence that every viewer of the play would leave inspired to become an ambassador for the cause by creating awareness and sensitizing others against drug abuse.
Rather than following a single storyline, AAG presents a series of interconnected episodes that collectively portray the rapid spread of drug addiction like a raging fire, consuming one of the country’s most valuable assets—its youth. Through multiple narratives, the play vividly illustrates how addiction destroys individuals, families and communities.
One episode depicts a young student entering college after completing school. Feeling isolated because he refuses to consume intoxicants, he is mocked by his peers and treated as immature. Frustrated and eager to prove his adulthood, he ultimately succumbs to peer pressure and begins experimenting with drugs and other intoxicants.
Another sequence portrays a rural village where widespread alcoholism among men has become the root cause of poverty, domestic violence and deteriorating health. The play also follows the daily routine of a labourer who spends his entire day’s earnings on alcohol. Intoxicated, he loses his way home and, after being escorted back by a villager, brutally assaults his wife and children for not welcoming him. When the neighbour intervenes to protect the family, he is falsely accused of having ill intentions. In his drunken rage, the man further destroys his own household, symbolizing how addiction devastates both families and society.
Through these compelling episodes, AAG exposes the tragic consequences of drug abuse, alcoholism and other forms of addiction, demonstrating how countless lives are being consumed by this social evil. The play concludes with a powerful appeal for collective action to save humanity from the destructive grip of the drug menace.
The production featured impactful performances by Neeraj Kant, Mahikshit Singh, Aadesh Dhar, Vishal Sharma, Akash Wadhwan, Aryan Sharma, Kushal Bhat and Kananpreet Kour.