KATHMANDU — Ek Chihān, the acclaimed social novel by renowned Nepali writer Hridayachandra Singh Pradhan and part of the Grade 12 Nepali curriculum, is now being presented as a stage play for students at various colleges and educational institutions.
The theatrical adaptation aims to provide students with an opportunity to experience the literary work beyond the textbook, bringing its characters, story and social setting to life through live performance.
Ek Chihān is regarded as an important work of social realism in Nepali literature. The novel portrays the realities of Nepali society at the time, focusing particularly on the lives of poor farmers and working-class people, economic hardship, social discrimination, struggle and human emotions. The novel is included in the Grade 12 Nepali curriculum.
The play has been adapted by H.P. Magar, with Kalpana Thapa as producer and Sagar Karki as director. The cast includes Bikash Joshi, Kalpana Thapa, Rashmi Gurung, Narayan Bhandari, Puran Rai, Pradeep Bishwakarma, Govind Raj Khadka, Mukesh Bishwakarma, Sankenam Rai, Rachana Pandey, Saraswati Khadka, Sunilkumar Rana, Diren Karki, Tulsi Rai and Anjana Dulal, among others.
The stage adaptation is expected to help students better understand the story, characters and social context they encounter in the textbook. Through acting, dialogue, visual presentation and stage performance, students can directly experience characters and events that they would otherwise have to imagine while reading the novel.
Targeting students from different colleges, the production also seeks to strengthen the connection between literature and theatre. For Grade 12 students in particular, watching a prescribed literary work performed on stage provides an engaging way to connect classroom learning with practical experience.
Different theatrical adaptations of Ek Chihān have previously been staged with students as the primary audience. The Cultural Corporation has also presented the curriculum-based novel as a play with the objective of providing students with a more practical and engaging understanding of the literary work.
The theatrical presentation of Pradhan’s timeless work is being viewed as an important initiative to introduce the classic to a new generation and encourage greater interest in Nepali literature and theatre. Along with supporting students in their curriculum studies, the play offers an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of Nepal’s social history, social structures, struggles and human relationships.