For many theatre enthusiasts, Paresh Rawal’s play shaadi@barbaadi.com staged at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan last evening was a major disappointment. Along with members, many well-known personalities came back from the venue that was full to the brim.

Ranjodh Singh, managing director, GS Auto, who is also a member of the Ludhiana Sanskritik Samagam that organised this play, says, “ I managed to get into the hall somehow. Despite reaching the venue on time, I could not find a seat and this was not because the members were sitting. The hall was full of people whom the sponsors had invited. Many members had to stand.” Ranjodh walked out of the play half-way complaining, “Had it been a good play I would have borne all discomforts. The play was bad with mediocre, run-of-the-mill jokes. Fifteen minutes into the play and I came out of the hall with my family.”

Singh was not alone. Rachna Singh, another such enthusiast, was very angry. She says, “The play was totally mismanaged. What is the fun of giving out invitation cards when there are not enough seats. This is demeaning and insulting. I fell like suing the organisers for this.”

Eyewitnesses say MLA Ludhiana West Harish Rai Dhandha turned back from the hall gate and so did ADC Kuldeep Singh, whose wife was denied entry into the hall. Well known artist Bhagwant Mann, who had to see as to what kind of audience, came to see plays too was highly disappointed.

S K Rai, the man behind the show and the LSS however is not perturbed over all this. He says, “ The response to this play shows that the LSS has created a huge audience that comes to watch theatre. If things continue to move in this way, we will have paid shows soon.” Rai recalls, “When we began many of our shows were thinly attended for people never came. Call it brand name or whatever, we now have an audience of about 2,000-3,000 people and I am very happy about it.” Rai added, “We had anticipated a lot of rush and that is why we had made police arrangements at the venue too.”

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