[VoxSpace Selects] KissaGo’s Gagan Damama Bajyo : Celebrating India’s Martyrs

KissaGo- Hyderabad’s Young Voice 

KissaGo is a vision to nurture talent unseen, promote stories unheard and meet illusion with reality- on stage, during a performance.

Founded on 14th September 2013, KissaGo is the only theatre group to be managed entirely by under 30 YO’s. KissaGo also prides itself in undertaking more than 100 shows, involving more than 70 actors, across 3 cities, catering to an audience beyond 5000. The team itself constitutes of more than 30 actors, 10 musicians and 10 crew

23rd March- Martyr’s Day

23rd March is recognized as Martyr’s Day in the wake of the sacrifice of three extraordinary freedom fighters of India. On 23rd March 1931, three heroes of our Nation- namely Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar- were hanged to death by the British.

As per the norms and the rules laid down at that time, the death penalty was not supposed to be executed at dusk and all the three martyrs were supposed to be hanged on 24th March, early in the morning.

But as the British government feared agitation in the public and sensed the possibility of riots, the martyrs were hanged on 23rd March at 5 pm and their half-burnt bodies were chopped and thrown in the river Satluj, which were later discovered by the locals.

Image result for kissago Gagan Damama Bajyo bhagat singh

The Plot Summary Of Gagan Damama Bajyo

The Storyline

This play showcases the historic era of our legendary freedom fighters and their unconditional struggle for India’s freedom.

The play also gives a message that it’s not necessary to become a leader to achieve something for his/her country. But if you have the willingness to sacrifice yourself for the nation, then you can bring in a revolution, which in turn changes the country.

This play is a mixture of some beautiful patriotic songs and thought-provoking messages, which transports the audience to the time of the freedom struggle. It is a stage presentation of history which still holds relevance.

The Soul Behind The Script

Piyush Mishra is not a person who minces words, he doesn’t need to. He started his career as a theatre actor in Delhi. In 1990, he helped start the theatre group Act One, with N. K. Sharma, Manoj Bajpai, Gajraj Rao and Ashish Vidyarthi. In the following years, he wrote and directed several plays as a part of Act One Theatre Group, including the highly acclaimed play, Gagan Damama Bajiyo, which was first performed in 1994.  The play is based on the life of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

There have been many dramatic presentations of Bhagat Singh’s life, but Piyush Mishra has never been a believer of any particular retelling.

He says “Bhagat Singh’s life or Rajguru’s life was not a piece of drama, it was as real and as “normal” as everyone else’s is. They fought for the complete freedom of the nation and died fighting for it.”

Piyush Mishra wrote this play not to glorify anybody from our history, but to understand them better. To know how genuine and clear their intentions were. And, to question if we have made a better India or are serving another master!