New Delhi : A thrilling dark comedy revolving around the abduction of a media boss and its repercussions in a world where capitalist and commercial gains govern everything was loved by theater lovers on the second day of the Delhi Natyotsav today.

 ‘Abducting Diana’, directed by Avijit Dutt, is a play based on a book written by Dario Fo and has been staged several times. The contemporary theme of the play in which a kidnapped millionaire media boss turns her own kidnapping into a more complex and eventful ‘story’ than the kidnappers would have imagined has resonated across the world.

The dark comedy was loved and appreciated by the audience at the Sriram Auditorium, which is playing host to the five-day theater festival being organized by Delhi Government and the Sakitya Kala Parishad.

Some widely different plays ranging from historical to contemporary have been picked up to offer an interesting mix of display at the festival. Tomorrow, another interesting feature of the festival would be Robert Ridley’s play ‘Love in a Time of Oppression’ which is a long drawn story of a woman and her courage and resilience in the backdrop of a series of major historical events beginning from the holocaust to the fall of communism. The play is being directed by eminent theater personality Faisal Alkazi who has directed 200 plays over a career spanning 35 years.

From the moving trial of great ancient Greek philosopher Socrates to Aurangzeb’s ascendance to the Mughal throne and many more exhilarating theatrical experiences will be performed over the next three days.

“The five day festival is a perfect platform for both theater artists and theater lovers to experiment with a wide variety of stories and plays. We have brought together some plays which have been appreciated and loved by a wide audience over the years. Some of the most respected names in Indian theatre are participating in the five-day festival which will present a rich mix of historical and contemporary stories. We are sure Delhi’s discerning audience will love every presentation,” says Mr. J. P. Singh, Assistant Secretary (Drama), Sahitya Kala Parishad.

Another historical figure who will feature in the festival is Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jehan, whose ascendance to the throne was fraught with a bloody struggle and ideological differences. The play was originally written in Tamil by Indira Parthasarathy in 1974 and over the years has been translated and performed in English, Hindi and Urdu. Veteran theater person K S Rajendran has donned the director’s hat for this play.

Also to be staged during the festival is ‘Sukrat Nage Paon’, the Hindi version of ‘James Maxwell Anderson’s renowned play ‘Barefoot in Athens’ which is based on the final days of Socrates, his trial and his sacrifice for the values he deemed right to be directed by Raj Besaria.