Jammu : Natrang presented a new Hindi play, “Aap Ki Sarita,” written by Satish Chitravanshi and directed by Neeraj Kant, under its weekly theatre series Sunday Theatre. The play presented a deeply moving story of resilience, determination and the courage to overcome failure, highlighting how perseverance can transform setbacks into stepping stones towards success.
The play is a poignant solo performance by Vrinda Gujral as ‘Sarita’, supported by Kushal Bhat as ‘Father’, and explores the journey of a young woman who refuses to surrender to failure, social pressure and personal hardships.
The play begins with Sarita being harshly scolded by her mother after failing her examination for the second consecutive time. Sarita feels crushed under the burden of failure, disappointment and social pressure. She even contemplates suicide, but rejects the thought, fearing that society would label her a coward and future generations would remember her as someone who gave up.
Instead, Sarita chooses to fight back. Determined to study again and prove herself, she asks her father to get her admitted for further studies. However, her request receives no response and her admission is repeatedly delayed. Her mother sarcastically remarks that while the government makes five-year plans, Sarita seems to have made a six-year plan for her education.
With no immediate opportunity to continue her studies, Sarita takes up a job teaching in a nursery school. Her life becomes a relentless cycle of teaching during the day, helping her mother in the kitchen in the evening and studying at night. Despite exhaustion, she remains determined to achieve her goal.
Her intense routine eventually takes a toll on her health. She develops a high fever, which turns into typhoid. Although the doctor advises complete bed rest for fifteen days, Sarita refuses to stop because her examinations are approaching. She appears for her exams even while suffering from fever. Immediately after the examinations, her condition deteriorates and she is hospitalised. After a prolonged two-month illness, she finally recovers and returns home.
A few days later, the examination results are announced. Sarita has passed with a second division. Her happiness is overwhelming and her family too celebrates her achievement. Seeing her determination and success, her father makes arrangements for her to leave the nursery-school job and enrols her in the university, assuring her that her education will no longer face any obstacles.
Through Sarita’s journey, the play delivers a powerful message: success and failure are both paths that we create through our own determination and choices. Failure is not the end; it can become the beginning of a greater victory. Sarita realises that the joy of winning after experiencing defeat is far greater.
The play concludes with Sarita turning towards the audience and saying, “And that is all… your Sarita and only your Sarita.” With this intimate and direct address, the character breaks the boundary between performer and audience, leaving them with a message of hope, resilience and the courage to rise after failure.
The lights of the play were executed by Neeraj Kant, while the sound was designed by Aadesh Dhar. The presentation of the play was done by Pawan Verma.
