Pagla Ghoda Sets Premchand Rangshala Ablaze with Badal Sircar’s Fire of Truth”
Patna, August 31:
The city’s cultural pulse beat stronger on Sunday evening as theatre group Ras Rang staged Badal Sircar’s iconic play “Pagla Ghoda” at the historic Premchand Rangshala, Rajendra Nagar. Directed by Raj Kapoor, the production left audiences shaken with its unflinching portrayal of patriarchy, love, and human guilt.
The play unfolds on a desolate cremation ground where the funeral pyre of an unnamed young woman—driven to suicide by failed love—becomes the backdrop for a searing moral confrontation. As four men, drinking by the fire, reflect on their past romances, the voice of the dead woman pierces through, forcing them to confront their betrayals, cowardice, and complicity in the silent murders of women who once loved them.
What emerges is not just a tale of rejected lovers, but a chilling commentary on how society and male ego weaponize honor, fear, and tradition to crush female desire. The burning pyre becomes a mirror, igniting flames of remorse in the men who stand exposed before the audience and the spirit of the deceased.
Symbolized by the “mad horse,” Pagla Ghoda strips bare the unrestrained madness of passion and the irrationalities of human emotion while questioning the very foundations of patriarchal relationships.
The performance featured Pragyati Sharma in the roles of the unnamed girl, Lakshmi, Mili, and Malti; Brajesh Sharma as Kartik; Zaffar Alam as Shashi; Kunal Kumar as Satu; Shashi Ranjan (Bhanu) as Himadri; and Sushil Dev as the Chandal. Their intense stage presence brought Badal Sircar’s raw and unsettling world to life.
Behind the curtain, the production was strengthened by meticulous sound design from Ajit Kumar, costumes by Pragyati Sharma and Ankita Sharma, make-up by Ladli Rai and Pinki Devi, and set design by Premchand Mahto. The haunting ambience was enhanced through the efforts of Sunil Sharma (set construction), Romi Sen (poster design), and Zaffar Alam (poster and flex design).
The play was translated into Hindi by Dr. Pratibha Agarwal, with Brajesh Sharma serving as associate director. The evening was anchored by Nihal Kumar Singh Nirmal, while Sahil Singh managed presentation control.
Under the guidance of convenor Shivchand Prasad Gupta and patrons Surendra Prasad and Mrityunjay Kumar, Ras Rang once again reaffirmed its commitment to bringing socially relevant and thought-provoking theatre to Patna.
With Pagla Ghoda, the troupe did not merely stage a play; it staged a haunting confession of society itself—a mirror to a world where the flames of a cremation ground reveal the darkest truths of human relationships.
By – Nihal Kumar Dutta