A Talent Whom I Miss

Fremont


My husband Lallan Prasad Thakur was a civil engineer by profession but he was an inborn artist. We generally don't see such type of talent in a person having technical background.He use to write drama scripts, act in a leading role, write it's lyrics and direct it. Acting was his passion and he acted in many plays since his childhood. He has written several Hindi and Maithli drama scripts which are now in form of books. Apart from that he use to write songs, poems, gazals, safety slogans, safety drama scripts, all in Hindi and Maithli. He has won several awards for his scripts, his directions, for his acting and even for his stage directions. Both my sons use to act in his plays and got several awards.


I have seen him writing, if he was in mood to write, he use to finish a full drama script in one stretch. I remember one or two of his dramas which he has written like that.Once he got an invitation for a play in a competition and after a meeting he decided to participate in that. The name of the play he announced in the meeting and date of the rehearsal was also fixed.Now he started thinking what drama to perform, he had a plot in his mind and he had a scene of it written.He use to have several plots for dramas in his mind and I had to listen his plots several times, not only plots, I had to listen all his dialogues several times also, during his script writing. So, the rehearsal also started on the schedule date with the first scene. I use to go with him everyday in all his rehearsals and both my sons were his child artist.


One day after his rehearsal he came and after tea he told me that today he was in a mood to write, secondly he had no options because he can't carry on the rehearsal with one scene, so after his dinner he is going to finish the script. He told me to make a flask of tea and go to sleep. After dinner children went to sleep, I made tea for him and kept it in the flask and went to sleep. At about 4:30 I woke up and went near him, he was still writing and told me to make tea for him. He said that the script was about to complete, so after making tea I also had tea with him, at 5:30 the script was complete. The play was very successfully played and got several prizes.


Once we went for a marriage of my cousin, there he met one of my mothers uncle, from his character he got a plot for his drama thus the script of his most popular play "Mister Nilo Kaka" was written. The main character of this play is an old man named "Nilo", who was very popular amongst his village people because of his humorous nature. The character Nilo never wanted to be said old man and he use to hate this word, as well as he had fear of snake. The youngsters use to tease him by saying old man. This play was staged twice in Mr. Thakur's direction, first in Jamshedpur which he organized himself, second time in the International Maithli Drama Festival. This was his first play outside Jamshedpur in Maithli and it was super hit and is still very popular. In a night he was the hero, after his play outside Jamshedpur.


Few days after" Mister Nilo Kaka" was staged in Jamshedpur he got an invitation for the international drama competition. Since the play was successfully staged in Jamshedpur and all the artist those who had acted in that play were available, he excepted the invitation. He had very less time for the competition but he was confident that this play would fetch several best awards. Again the rehearsal started, everything was going fine. I use to be with him in the rehearsal everyday and use to assist him. My younger son was also acting in that play so four of us use to go for the rehearsal. One day one of the artist named Lakshmikant who was doing the role of Sanichra came and said he had an unavoidable circumstances so he was going to his village but he will come within two three days and join. His role was not so big so Mr. Thakur was not worried about that but one day he got a message from one of the lady artist that she couldn't do the play because she was going out of the town. That day he was very upset, next day all of us went for the rehearsal but it was more like a meeting than a rehearsal. After rehearsal all the artist went home only four of us and Mr. Balmukund Choudhary Mr. Thakur's one of the closest friend stayed there back to decide what to do. Without lady artist the play was not possible, both Mr. Thakur and Mr. Choudhary were very worried and asked me what to do. Even I had no answer. Both of them went out of the room for few minutes and came back. Mr. Thakur came to me and said , how can we back out now, only few days are left for the drama festival. Now it has become our prestige, so you will have to do the role. I started laughing, I told them it's not possible, now my husband also started laughing but after few seconds he said," now I am not joking, you will have to do because we don't have any option, I know you can do it". I had no answer so it was decided that I will do the role of that lady artist.


Next day four of us went for the rehearsal. Everyday I use to go for the rehearsal and give my comments later on in the house but that day it was different,I was going as an artist.In the play main character " Nilo" was Mr. Thakur and I was his wife. All the artist were told that now I will be doing kaki's role, that was the character(lady artist) called in the play. The rehearsal started, I was called for the rehearsal,so I went near the stage but I was not able to do the rehearsal.I started laughing instead of delivering the dialogues. All my dialogues were with Mr. Thakur and as I looked at him I couldn't resist my self and laughed and so Mr.Choudhary. So, Mr.Choudhary was told to go out of the hall but even in his absence I was not able to deliver the dialogues because of my laugh. Any how other artists did there parts and we went home. Next day I thought I will not laugh and do the rehearsal seriously but when my turn came for the dialogue I again started laughing. This went on till the last day of the rehearsal. I never did the rehearsal with my husband, only some times he use to listen my dialogues at home. I was not satisfied with my rehearsal but he use to say to the artist don't worry she will do it on the stage," I am confident about her". Now the artist who had gone for his village didn't turn up and sent a message that he will join at Patna, where we had to go for the competition. We were worried but Mr. Thakur said not to be worried about it, if he doesn't turns up my elder son Bhaskar will do his role. So, we left for International Maithli Drama Competition.


We left for Patna, the whole team was excited, my elder son Bhaskar( Puttu) was told to see the dialogue of Sanichra. We reached Patna a day before our show and we had our stage rehearsal that day but Lakshmikant didn't turn up. Now my son Bhaskar was told to do the role of Sanichra.Since morning he had to do the rehearsal and in the afternoon we had our stage rehearsal.


On the show day we had our rehearsal in the hotel once or twice. In the evening Mr. Thakur with his family and all the artist was ready for the show. The show was super hit and Mr. Lallan Prasad Thakur got several prizes including best directors award. I got best character actress award and my son got best child actors award. This was Mr. Thakur's talent, I am lucky enough that I am his his wife and was with him for twenty three years.