Lucknow, Nov. 12 -- The timeless play 'Aashadh ka ek din' was staged at the Sant Gadgeji Maharaj Auditorium of UP Sangeet Natak Akademi on Tuesday. Presented by Abhivyakti Theatre group and directed by theatre artiste KK Agarwal, the play began with the rendition of the famous verse from Kalidas' Meghaduta - 'Aashadhyasya Pratham Divase' - which is said to have inspired Mohan Rakesh to write the play. The play revolved around the poet Kalidasa and his beloved Mallika. It depicted how their love, nurtured in the valleys of the Himalayas, was deeply wounded by the politics and ambitions of the royal court in Ujjayini. In Ujjayini, Kalidasa not only becomes the court poet but also marries Princess Priyangu Manjari and is later crowned as the king of Kashmir. Yet, the price he pays for the glory and grandeur is the loss of his dearest relationship. Mallika, on the other hand, becomes an embodiment of sacrifice, waiting, and separation-giving tangible form to the pain every true artiste feels deep within. The play portrays the eternal conflicts between love and ambition, ideals and reality, art and life. The stage design beautifully recreated the scenic valleys of the Himalayas. Lighting design and operation were handled by Gopal Sinha. The main roles were played by - Archana Shukla (Ambika), Mini Dixit (Mallika), Ambrish Bobby (Kalidasa), Ashutosh Pandey (Dantul) and Bhanu Prakash Pandey (Matul). The play left the audience enthralled....