WOBURN, MA—Hindi play Chanakya made New Englanders re-live history from about 2,000 years ago on Sunday, but the language Hindi became a barrier for many in understanding the succinct dialogues which were delivered in perfect Sanskritized Hindi by actors.
Soon after the intermission, Manoj Joshi, the veteran actor who played the lead role of Chanakya, had to come on the stage and summarize the play of the two acts—the act which had been already played during the first half and what was upcoming during the second half.
The audience gave a standing ovation to the play, actors and the organizers.
“In terms of drama and art, it was an excellent play,” said Dr. Kishor Mehta, MD, who watched the play. “People with different level of understanding of Hindi language may have found it difficult to understand.”
Eshani Shah of Dhoom Entertainment, which brought the show to Boston, was overwhelmed by the positive response of the audience, but agreed that Sanskritized Hindi made it difficult to understand for some.
“I am so humbled and overwhelmed by the response and support by the New England community,” Shah posted on her Facebook page. “I know the spoken language Sanskrit Hindi was difficult to follow at times but I think everyone enjoyed the overall performance by Manoj Joshi and team.”
The Hindi play Chanakya was staged on Sunday, May 8, at Memorial High School in Woburn, MA.
The play Chanakya starred Bollywood, television and theater actor Joshi and his team of talented artists. The play is nearing completion of 1,000 shows with over 100,000 people who have watched it all over the globe.
