Somehow he gathered the courage back to join them, and his approach needs a special mention because he succeeded in proving visibly challenged people to be equal to those who are normal human beings. “Green Finger,” Rayamajhi’s second play, which was staged at the Sama Natak Ghar of Arohan Gurukul till last week, made it clear that even visibly challenged people, can stand out in anything as much as a normal person can do. It also clarified that there should be no extraordinary formula for those who are disabled.
Simply, “Green Finger” is a mesmerizing play that leaves you emotional by the end. Not in terms of the content and the body of the play, but it makes you see how people who have never faced stage before and who have never seen the world through their own eyes bring their souls out to do their best and to prove they are equally competent.
Though Rayamajhi’s direction has some loopholes, the few mistakes can however be overlooked considering his approach in creating an inspirational act. It is remarkable to see visibly impaired artistes do their jobs creatively and go close to justify their characters well. Besides, it is unbelievable to learn that they learnt every facial expression and acting in less than seventy days. There are a few moments in the act where some of the characters miss their steps and land on the opposite direction, but it is commendable to see them correcting their mistakes immediately before the audience feel something wrong. It is a surprise to see how they remember where they should be heading to, to correctly find where their friends are standing, and where the exit is in spite of the fact they cannot see. In addition, it is mesmerizing to observe how each of them in the act compliments each other if one does anything wrong.
However, Rayamajhi should not have experimented with dialogue delivery. When the characters were not comfortable speaking in English and were superb with dialogue delivery in Nepali, he should have done the script entirely in Nepali. Wrong pronunciation of words in English, mistakes in vocabulary and the actors speaking English uncomfortably is a little disappointing.
Rayamajhi admits that he should not have made his actors mix two languages and should have allowed them to speak in what they are comfortable with. Though he is disappointed and says he failed in making his characters practice more, “Green Finger” is something unique and is a beautiful play which many in Kathmandu have hardly seen before.
Content-wise, the play is nothing extraordinary. It is about a group of friends who are about to make a documentary on a political issue but their effort is obstructed by a politician. They are told to stop making it, the script is stolen, and they are physically thrashed, too. But they do not give up at any costs. The bonus of this act is not the content; it’s the characters and the whole presentation that steals the show.
Salil Subedi’s background score is powerful, but at times the sound editing goes off way and the music is too loud. The poor technical presentation is disappointing when other things fall in the right way.
“I read this play as an allegory,” littérateur Sanjeev Uprety observes and adds, “The expressions are very creative and it does not feel that the artistes had to practice any gestures. They looked so natural. It’s a remarkable attempt.”
Surely, director Suman Rayamajhi has proved that our society has treated the visibly challenged and physically disabled as if they are from a different planet. He has successfully given an idea that they are equally capable of doing everything a normal person does, if given a right opportunity.
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