LUCKNOW, Feb. 13 -- A Hindi adaptation of the play 'Jhimiti Khela' was staged at the Sant Gadgeji Maharaj Auditorium of UP Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) here on Thursday to mark the culmination of the month-long 'Residency-Based Theatre Pedagogy' organised for the first-semester students of Bhartendu Natak Academy (BNA). During the programme, students were trained in Odisha's rich cultural heritage. Based on an episode from the 15th-century 'Sarala Mahabharata', authored by Odia poet Sarala Das, the play was directed by Satyabrata Rout. The play depicts the Pandavas' arrival in Hastinapur and the mockery directed at them by Duryodhana regarding their divine parentage. When Duryodhana insults Bhima, the latter responds by calling him 'Golak Putra' (son of a fig tree), following a strategy suggested by Lord Krishna, referring to the legend of Gandhari's symbolic marriage to a fig tree. The jibe wounds Duryodhana's pride, ultimately laying the foundation for the destruction of the Gandhara clan and Shakuni's revenge. "Through this Hindi adaptation, an effort has been made to connect young artistes with folk traditions and the traditional physical language of Chhau," he added. Rohit, Abhishek, Karan, Palak played key roles. htc...