Sapana Deluxe Coach reflects plights of Nepali youth

BY PHADINDRA ADHIKARI,Lekhnath, Jan. 27: A drama is a vivid portrayal of both reality and reality-driven imagination. Great English playwright William Shakespeare has connected the stage to the world, the characters to humans and the various roles people must play in life, emphasising the responsibility inherent in these roles. Most scholars and theatre artists agree with Shakespeare's perspective.

The play Sapana Deluxe Coach, which began its staging in Pokhara on Friday, attempts to explore the thoughts, perspectives and confused states of Nepali youth. 

The main character, played by Dil Prasad Gurung, is Bhim Dai, a bus driver. Bhim, an experienced driver, travels the route from Pokhara to Kathmandu, interacting with passengers and their society. These interactions form the core theme of the drama.

In Sapana Deluxe Coach, the sixth presentation of Indreni Theatre, Bhim’s wife, Uma Pun (also known as Phool Maya), expresses deep concern before her husband begins his journey as a bus driver. The play sheds light on the challenges that bus drivers face, including situations where traffic police impose fines without cause and passengers who urinate in their seats due to drunkenness.

The play also addresses the issue of monkeys disrupting farming, offering solutions such as cutting down trees to drive them away. 

Last year, the local office in Pokhara Metropolitan City-19 had authorised tree cutting to combat the monkey menace, an illegal and ill-advised solution, which the play also criticises. Additionally, the play highlights how some youths are ready to fight over trivial matters, even resorting to a khukuri (a traditional Nepali knife).

The play suggests that the best solution to the monkey problem is proper tree maintenance and care. In the absence of economic opportunities in the village, Sushil and his nephew, who symbolise today’s youth, dream of going abroad for better prospects. A song in the play reinforces this theme effectively.

Kapil Sharma gives a strong performance as Sushil, a young man who travels abroad via Kathmandu. He is concerned about the plight of workers who toil while others benefit from the harvest. The play also shows how younger generations dream of better opportunities abroad. In one scene, Bhim takes his nephew, who also aspires to go abroad, on a bus to Kathmandu. Along the way, a passenger travelling to Kohalpur is dropped off at Muglin by the same bus headed for Kathmandu, illustrating how people often use each other for selfish purposes.

Written by Kedar Nath Paudel, this play portrays society from the perspectives of passengers, drivers and conductors, bringing these dynamics to the stage. The performances by Uma Pun, Kapil Sharma, Dil Prasad Gurung, Bibhu Prasad Bhusal and Bijay Raj Adhikari are powerful. Although the play deals with a seemingly small subject, it tackles it seriously and director Laxman Dumre could enhance its impact with further effort.

The play will be staged daily until February 1. Will Bhim, driving a large bus from Pokhara to Kathmandu, reach his destination or will there be an accident along the way? Will Sushil and his nephew’s dreams come true or remain unfulfilled? Does the Deluxe Coach truly reflect the dreams of Nepali youth? To find the answers, one must watch the play.