Mandali mirrors the journey of a man and his struggle to uphold righteousness in times of diminishing social conscience and the downfall of cultural and traditional values through the protagonist. Purshottam Chaubey aka Puru is a peon in an intermediate college in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. He plays the role of Lord Laxmana along with his cousin Sitaram Chaubey who plays the role of Lord Rama in the Ramleela Mandali, run by his uncle Ramsevak Chaubey. Their life takes a blow when during a performance they have to leave midway because of Sitaram’s indulgence and addiction to drugs. Not being able to withstand the humiliation, and guilty of ruining God’s name, Ramsevak leaves performing in the Ramleela forever. Puru confronts Ramsevak on his escapist approach and condemns his decision to withdraw while beginning a journey of struggle to bring back his family on stage with dignity.
Rajiv Narayan Singh
