Art has no boundaries and that is what a group of 50 visually impaired children are set to show to the Delhiites with their musical play ‘Khushi Ek Ehsaas’. Directed by renowned theatre artist Ritu R. Chandra and performed by children of JPM School, the play depicts the world through the eyes of a cat named ‘Khushi’, and proves yet again that any physical barrier does not hold artistic expressions.
JPM School is a government-aided residential school for visually impaired children and is managed by the Blind Relief Association. Brainchild of Radhika Bharat Ram, Joint Secretary, Blind Relief Association, this play focuses on the positive aspects of life. Talking about the vision she says, “The idea behind the production is to sensitise the society and to showcase the potential of our children. This rich learning experience will help our children in pushing their boundaries and will enhance their level of confidence. The production will also be an enriching experience for the audience.”
She further adds, “The aim of the association is to provide opportunities to all our students the opportunity to learn and grow, to study further, and also explore various vocational trainings — all this will help them in becoming independent and confident. This musical is a small step towards that bigger goal.”
The story of the play unfolds through the eyes of a cat (Khushi) and narrates its lifes journey. The story teaches Khushi and her friends an important lesson about dealing with huddles in our life. Radhika says, “The play displays the path-breaking talent of the children who have definitely exceeded expectations. Innovative means, funny and humorous instances have been used to showcase practical teachings of life in the play.”
The ideation, conceptualisation and superb acting are carried with tremendous expertise. The kids are excited about the performance but are not very clear about the scale of the show, shares Radhika. She adds, “The play can be termed as an artistic marvel and the audience will be glued to their seats while watching its execution. The children have put in a lot of energy in training and understanding the play.”
Talking about the challenges faced while training the kids Ritu R. Chandra, director of the play says, “It was a challenging to make these kids understand but I was overwhelmed and surprised to see the dedication and perseverance of these children. They worked hard in rehearsals and motivated me to exceed my own capabilities. I am really proud of these children who have taught me that art and expression is an intrinsic part of human capacity and pervades every heart and mind, no matter the physical ability or disadvantage. The narration is very entertaining and is mounted with the help of songs and dances as well as audio visual assists.”
Funds collected from the event will be used to improve infrastructure facilities at the association. “The production had been mounted with the help of many renowned musicians, choreographers, costume designers, painters, writers and photographers who have voluntarily worked towards creating a scintillating production,” shares Radhika.
The production is supported by renowned personalities from various fields like Sumiko Nanda - photographer, Amita Chaddha- creative designer, Archana Shiromani - choreographer and Payal Pratap Singh - designer, amongst others. The director along with Amrinder Kaur, Noopur Kakkar and Darshana Jaini has written the script.
In future, the association is planning to host many more theatre performances by these talented kids. Talking about the learning and future plans Radhika says, “This experience has been a great learning platform for both Ritu our director and the kids this production is one of its kind. Her dedication and ability to get the best out of her actors is noteworthy. We will definitely look at doing another production as this has taught our children a number of things like team work, discipline, built their self esteem and most importantly they have had fun.”
When: January 22, Where: Kamani Auditorium
