Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Hello Everyone ☺

This blog is in response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Sir Barad. 

In this blog we are going to discuss the review of  the hindi play performance of Hard Times by Charles Dickens. 

Introduction :

"Hard Times" is a classic novel by Charles Dickens that explores the harsh realities of industrial society in 19th-century England. It shows a world where people focus only on facts and efficiency, ignoring their feelings. Through vivid characters and a compelling narrative, Dickens critiques the dehumanizing effects of utilitarianism and the industrial revolution, offering a thought-provoking glimpse into the struggles of the working class during this transformative era.

If we want to study any particular work we have to know about its author so now let's discuss about the writer :

Charles Dickens :

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was a British novelist who is generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era. His novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, are known for their vivid characters, compelling narratives, and social commentary.

Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, but he was often in debt. When Dickens was 12 years old, his father was imprisoned for debt, and Dickens was forced to work in a blacking factory. This experience had a profound impact on Dickens, and it influenced many of his novels.

Dickens began his writing career as a journalist. In 1836, he published his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was an instant success. Dickens went on to write many more novels, all of which were immensely popular. He also wrote short stories, plays, and travel essays.

Dickens died in 1870 at the age of 58. He is considered one of the greatest English novelists of all time. His works continue to be read and enjoyed by people all over the world.



Plot of the Play :

In the fictional town of Coketown, England, during the Industrial Revolution, utilitarianism reigns supreme. Thomas Gradgrind, a wealthy businessman and educator, believes that everything in life can be explained by facts and logic. He raises his children, Louisa and Tom, according to this philosophy, and they grow up to be cold and emotionless adults.

Stephen Blackpool, a kind and honest factory worker, is struggling to survive in the harsh conditions of Coketown. He is injured in an accident at work and is fired by his employer, Josiah Bounderby. Stephen is unable to find a new job and is eventually accused of a crime he did not commit.

Louisa is forced to marry Bounderby, even though she does not love him. She becomes increasingly unhappy and eventually leaves him. Tom steals money from Bounderby and flees the country.

In the end, Stephen is found innocent of the crime he was accused of, but he is killed in a mining accident. Louisa is reunited with her former teacher, Mr. Sleary, who helps her to find happiness and fulfillment.

Play Review:

Question :

Review of the Hindi Play based on "Hard Times" :



The Hindi Play based on "Hard Times"  By Charles Dickens is a musical adaptation of Dickens's novel of the same name, performed and organised by Khilona Theater for Children. Which is directed by Kiran Deep Sharma and performed by various artists. 


Let's see list of people who worked hard for this play adaptation:


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


You can find this full video here :



Now let's see cast of the play :


  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 information is given at discription of video)



I personally like this play performance because it depicted ideas of the writer very well. By this play All audience can connect that what writer actually wants to tell their readers. 


While watching the play we all can feel that we all can connect with Dickens message trough the play. On the other hand we also find that there is Indian Masala in the play performance. That means we can generally know that in Indian Dramatilogy one can find importance f Sutradhar and Nat, who introduced events and connect readers & audience with events of the play. 


In this play we can also find there is one Sutradhar, arrives at starting of the play, where he inform the audience about the setting and backgrounds of the play ,  Where we can find that this is the story about the place  the fictional town of Coketown, England, and he also shares conversation with Nat. By their conversation background of the story reveals. 


 In the beginning they also talk about story and fiction. In their conversation they depicted beautiful connection between Horse and Imagination. They  mentioned that each and every story teaches us something we just pick up good things from it by our own Imagination. 

And after that scene opens and they take us to the story. 


The opening scene of the novel starts with this line :

"Now what I want is facts. Teach this boys and girls nothing but facts"


This line leads us towards the main theme of the novel. And audience started thinking towards it. 



Like the novel the play also has three part:


  1. Sowing
  2. Reaping
  3. Garnering

While at some events we can find they uses songs for describing narration :

Let's see one of it's Songs :

 
This song presents the reality of industrial and materialistic life. 


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,

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?

पर गौर से जो देखेंगे तो साफ नजर आयेगी सच्चाई इसमें आजकी।


The final song :

So let's see is the final song of the play which is 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 

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।




Conclusion:

Thus we can say that, This play encourages us to contemplate the message conveyed by Dickens. Watching this performance helps us realize that a seemingly lifeless story on paper can come alive through exceptional acting and a compelling presentation. If you notice any mistakes, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for reading 😊🙏🏻
Happy Learning 😊

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