Thinking activity
"Hard Times" play review
This blog is in response to the thinking activity of the novel Hard times by Charles Dickens assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, the Department of English, MKBU. In this blog I am going to reflect my understanding of the Hindi play adaptation of the Hard Times directed by Kiran Deep Sharma.
Hard Times is a novel written by Charles Dickens during the Victorian Era. It was first published in serial form under the title “Hard Times: For These Times” in the periodical “Household Words” from April to August 1854. It was first published in book form later the same year. The novel is a bitter indictment of industrialization, with its dehumanizing effects on workers and communities in mid-19th-century England.
In this I am going to write a review of "Hard Times", a musical adaptation in Hindi of Dickens' novel of the same name, by Khilona Theater for Children. This Hindi adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel “Hard Times”, mounted by Khilona Theatre to teach humanistic values to children in a fun way. The play is having an element of didacticism in a clear and concise way, while Hardy gives it by the representation of his characters and storyline. And this is an excellent way to keep the audience's attention and let them think what will be the next.
Direction and costume design:- - Kiran Deep Sharma
Adaptation and editing - V.K. Sharma, Kiran Deep Sharma Lyrics V.K. Sharma
Music direction - Kashish Sharma
Voice training and flute - Esra Seher Jung
Cast:-
- Aarti Vasan - Jane and Josephine
- Aakash Hingorani - Josiah Bounderby, clown
- Abhishekh - Childers, Jupe, doctor. Chitra clown, Mrs. Pegler -
- Isha Mrs. Gradgrind, Mrs. Sparsit -
- Jyotsana - Louisa
- Kajori - Rachel
- KiranDeep Sharma - singer
- Kunal - Tom, clown
- Lakshya Goel - Stephen, narrator, stuntman Prakash Mr. Sleary, James Harthouse.
- Pulkit - butler, clown
- Santosh - Dilkhush, circus crowd
- Saif Bitzer, stuntman Sajid Anwer Mr. Choakumchild, Kidder, Stephen's wife
- Shubham - Sissy
- Sudipto Banerjee - Mr. Gradgrind
- V.K. Sharma - narrator
This adaptation is in a Play, not movie. We can understand that it is very much difficult to convert a Novel into a play. Whole Novel is adapted by this play very well.
For the explanation and additional narration of the story, here in the play there is Sutradhar and Nat. In between or in a sequence they tell the outcome of the action and also the next scene. They also have a conversation about why Charles Dickens has done all these things in his Novel.
The first line of the Novel is,
"Now what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts."
Opening line of the novel is very important as it presents the whole ideas of the novel spoken by Mr. Gradgrind. The novel moves in around facts and imagination and its outcome. It means Facts are the only thing needed in our life, nothing else. Play starts with the conversation between sutradhar with Nat and it has been very much useful to develop the order of the play.
"In this life we want nothing but facts, sir nothing but facts!"
The whole storyline is well presented in the play. Though this play differs from the original novel, we can get an idea of the Novel in a good way. Whole Novel is adapted by this play very well. The novel is set in Coketown and there are so many scenes like street, factory, home, Forest, but as we all know the play is performed on the stage. The other change is that there are songs in the beginning, middle and at the end. By this song we come to know about the narration which we have in the novel.
The Names of the characters are the same as the Novel, the play also has three parts like novels.
- Sowing
- Reaping
- Garnering
The order of all the chapters is maintained in the play. There are five elements stands clearly as per my understanding, when we analyse this play,
- Starting and Ending
- Sutradhar
- Songs
- Didacticism in between and suspense
Starting and Ending:-
The Novel begins with a scene of the school classrooms where Mr. Gradgrind tells Mr. McChoakumchild to teach girls and boys facts. The Novel begins by the sentence,
"Now what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts."
. The play contains the same, but initially Sutradhar says about the novels to the audience. Like starting play ends with he suggestions and answers but now with a song.
Use of Sutradhar and Nat:-
Sutradhar plays an important part in Indian drama. The major need of this character is to unfold truths which are not presented directly. It gives relief to the audience. It is sometimes used for a didactic purpose also. So in Hindi play adaptation of the novel Hard Times is also having the same elements.
Initially Sutradhar says about the novels to the audience and Nat. In the initial conversation, both talk about the story and fiction. To reply to his question about the Didactic element of the story, Sutradhar says that each story teaches us something, but if the aim of the story is not to teach, our imagination lets us pick good things from it.
In the same part Nat admits that he hasn't read the novel as he is only concerned with his dialogues. In the entertainment industry, there are so many actors like or actors of Hard Times who have only concern with his own part, not about the whole story.
Here Sutradhar gives information about the novel, like, it is set in an imaginary city “Coketown” and gives clarification of what Coketown means. They expose how the education system represented by Mr. Gradgrind is connected with modern times. They also give an introduction to the significance of the names of characters. Like,
Mr. Gradgrind:- who grinds the minds of students
Mr. Chokumchild:- who is choking information in the large scale to students' brains.
Through the play Sutradhar constantly makes us busy to find out the hidden things.
Songs:-
This is a musical play adaptation of the novel. So there are five songs. All contain the idea of situations faced by the characters. This also presents the reality of industrial and materialistic life. After the conversation, it starts by a song,
कमाल की कहानी यह हेतो बड़ी पुरानी जी।
पर गौर से जो देखेंगे तो साफ नजर आयेगी सच्चाई इसमें आजकी।
छू न जाए छाव अगर आप को ये आजाकी तो जो चाहे वो कहेना जी।
तो चार्ल्स डिकेन्स की तरह हम भी क्यों न करे कल्पना कॉकटाउन जैसे शहर की।
रंग जहां की नदी के निर्मल पानी का भी हो चुका ही बैंगनी।
कमाल की कहानी…
ये मशीनी कारखानों का जमाना यूं समझो कि आज का है।
मैटेरियलिज्म पेर अपने अच्छी तरह जमा चुका है।
हर व्यापारी नेता को ये खेल समझ में आ चुका है।
आए हो इस दुनिया में तो कम करो कुछ ऐसा,
हाथो हाथ माल बीके, अच्छे खासे दाम मिले,
ताकि और ज्यादा हो मुनाफा।
Emotions, imagination या compassion से कभी, पेट किसका भरता है क्या?
इनके बदले डॉलर या फिर पाउंड किसी को मिलता है क्या?
इसीलिए तो नजर में इनकी करना और सहानुभूति या किसी से हमदर्दी चीजें हैं बेकार की?
कमाल की कहानी यह हेतो बड़ी पुरानी जी।
पर गौर से जो देखेंगे तो साफ नजर आयेगी सच्चाई इसमें आजकी।
This song gives an outline of the whole story of the play in a much deeper way. The second song is about the same concept but now with the context of life.
सुख और दुख का संगम यू तो हर कहानी।।
उलझी उलझी गुत्थम गुत्था।
समझ किसके आए न आखिर आगे क्या होगा।
हर कहानी का मगर अंत निकट जब आता।
चमत्कार कुछ ऐसा होता,
अंधकार को दूर। भगाती आशा की एक नई किरन।
जीत होती अच्छाई की, अंत होता सब जुल्म का।
आज नही तो कल सच्चाई का मिलता फल।
उम्मीदो के दीप जलाती,
हर कहानी नई पुरानी।
शोख मुझे है बचपन से ही।
The third song is about industrialism. Each of the infrastructures only have bricks and Cement and people also have the same tendencies. Life has become like a machine who works according to the clock
.
दिन-रात रात-दिन रात-दिन शोर मचाती।
घड़ घड़ करती चलती जाती।
कोक्टाउन की ये मशीने रुक ये जाती कभी कभी।
समान बनाते दुनियाभर का,
बेचारे ये कारीगर भी थक जाते तब कर लेते आराम कभी कभी।
बड़े बड़े सब कारखाने धुआं उगलना जहरीला कर देते ये बंद कभी कभी।
पर कभी न थकता, कभी न रुकता समय का अद्भुत कारखाना।
टीक टीक करना अपनी धुन मे सदा-निरंतर चलता रहता।
ऐसा क्या बना अखिरब्ये समय का कारखाना।
चमत्कार इसका तब नजर आता जब समय गुजर जाता।
लंबा अपने बाप से भी बच्चा हो जाए,
किसके सारे दांत गिरे या गंजा हो जाए,
या नन्हा एक बीज फूट कर कल वृक्ष बड़ा बन जाए।
समय बड़ा बलवान यू टू एक कम ये न कर पाए,
बोए पेड़ बबूल का सोचो उसमे आम कहा से आए?
सोचो… सोचो… सोचो उसमे आम कहा से आए?
The fourth song is in a context when Mrs. Gradgrind states " You have studied all 'ologies' but still you are lacking in something. She feels it completed when Sissy is with her.
आंखो में वो चमक नही
होती पे वो बात नही
है ज्ञान के भंडार मगर
पत्थर दिल हम रहे
रत्ती भर भी प्यार नही।
जीवन की मिठास नही
छूने का एहसास नही
छोटी सी एक आस नही।
क्या ही logic क्या है Reason
खतम नही होता, बैठा है सन्नाटा
क्यों है इतना खालीपन
सुनी सुनी क्यों है इतनी सबकी जिंदगी
किस चीज की है कमी?
इस घरमे किस चीज की है कमी?
ये सब जो कुछ हमे सिखाती
कहा से मिलती फुरसत ऐसी
या इतना ही कोई बताओ
कौनसी ऐसी शिक्षा है जो मिली नही इन्हे कभी?
The fifth and final song is at the end of the play about the general outcome of the play.
अमीर हो गरीब हो चाहे, है आखिर इंसान।
बेल नही हम जो करे भाग भाग के काम, रात-दिन सुबह-शाम।
इसीलिए हम करे जगन, Tension थोड़ी हो कम।
कुछ तो मोज-मस्ती हो, या कोई ऐसा खेल-तमाशा।
सोच पुरानी बदले जो, नई सोच से करे शुरुआत।
किसकी है ये जिम्मेदारी, कौन करेगा Drama esa।
कल्पना के घोड़े पर बैठे मिलकर साथ सब
दुनियाभर की सैर करे,
और दुसरो की गलतीओ से के सबक…
हर पेचीदा सवालों के जवाब ढूंढे हस्ते-हस्ते
ताकि सबकी जिंदगी में कुछ तो पड़े फरक।
Themes:-
- Industrialism
- Facts vs Fancy
- Materialism
- Class distinction
- Female representation
Industrialism:-
Hard Times highlight three social issues as the impact of the Industrial Revolution. They are the application of Utilitarianism, the life of the working class and the bad environment of the industrial city. Dickens portrays those three social phenomena in a negative way.
"Only work which gives you money is important, nothing else like imagination."
In the industrial world, workers are called “Hand”. It is like our hands are doing work, mouth is eating and it goes directly to our stomach. So the stomach can be compared to the owner of the industry , who gets ripped fruits.
Facts vs Fancy:-
The play starts with the ideology of Mr. Gradgrind about Facts and ends with emotions and imagination. It shows that fact or logic is not the only thing which can make you happy, you need more than this and that is emotions, love and imagination.
While introducing herself Cecillia Jupe says, I am Sissy Jupe and then about her father's profession. In both these pieces of information, Mr. Gradgrind first reacts with the name and later on of her Father's occupation and out of that he asks her to define the Horse. But she fails to give definition. Another boy, Bitzer, gives the definition of horse in a much more precise way. It doesn't mean if she doesn't know about horses, that's why she is unable to explain or a boy knows it. The fact is that it has no words to describe but she has more knowledge than others about horses as she is connected with it. The same problem is happening to us. We know everything but we don't have words to describe it properly and in a way we fail to prove what we have.
Another example is about a photo of horse and flower carpet., Which also contains the same thing. Fact is must.
“Remember Fact... Fact... Fact ... Fact...”(Repetition of students of the word fact as they are noting it down)
Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby aslo reacts when they hear idiomatic language spoken by Circus workers. Like,
- पिछले कुछ दिनों से ज्यूप की दल नही गल रही थी।
- रायता फैल गया।
But towards the end of the play we come to know that only facts can not work, it needs emotions, love, companionship and imagination .
Materialism:-
Victorian society had some social barriers between people and materialism collapses human relations. The theme of Materialism is presented by Mr. Gradgrind and Mr.Josiah Bounderbh. Mr. Gradgrind reveals materialism clearly when he persuade her daughter to marry with Mr. Bounderby because is as wealthy as him. So he can make her happy not love. He also gives reason why he got married to her mother and one of the reasons was equal status. In Modern time we can see that Materialism is the central point of all things.
Class distinction:-
Here in the play there is upper class and working class. The working class seems to have an inherent nobility that escapes the servitude of their station. Mr. Bounderby reacts "इनके लिए भी ट्रेनिंग चाहिए?" when a circus worker says about circus training.
Class conflict is also shown when Stephen Blackpool admits that he wants divorce from her Wife, because it is too costly, divorce is only possible in the wealthy upper class.
Female representation:-
In the Play there are three important female characters,
- Sissy Jupe
- Ms. Louisa
- Mrs. Sparsit
Character of Sissy is more important than other female characters. She is a free minded girl. After her father left to go to the circus for her studies, she managed everything very well. Ms. Louisa is not that free to do what she wants. She walks on a path provided by her father. She is not able to explain what she really wants. Sh doesn't like Bounderby, it has been clearly shown when she rubs her cheek after Bounderby kisses her.
Mrs. Sparsit is a typical female character who tries to do conspiracies to let down Louisa. But every time she failed. As she belongs from royal class now working in the house of Mr. Bounderby because of the rise of industrialism, she feels insecure when Mr. Bounderby says the word Salary but tells it Annual Complement. She also reveals in a way the fact of Mr. Bounderby's mother, Mrs. Pegler.
The statement of Tom is quite problematic when he talks about her own sister, who has sacrificed her life for the life and earning of her brother.
लड़की है, लड़किया तो कही भी गुजारा कर लेती है।
He takes advantage of his sister's marriage with Mr. Bounderby. But he does robbery in the bank. But still she wants to save him.
So, all these aspects of the play gives charm to the plotline and as adapted in a play from the novel, the playwright has covered most of the information from the text.
Play performance:-
I hope this blog will be helpful to you to think more about this play.
Thank you for visiting…
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