Read time: 8 min

The following is a writing from Ansh Vats, a former commerce student who is interested in the arts and theatrics. He has performed in monologues and skits, and it's always a refreshing experience to see his performance. When I had the chance to watch " Dhoomrapan" in Kamani Auditorium I asked him to come with me. I have nagged him for weeks to write a recollection or memoir of sorts, and my prayers have been answered. Here comes Ansh Vats.

Yo I’m Ansh Vats I think that was not a good way to introduce myself…. Nvm so when I was asked to join my friend Abaan to watch a drama at first I was like why me bro and that’s because I was playing my fav game (f1 2023 ik I don’t have the latest version) I told him that my parents wouldn’t allow for such a random and immediate plan. I lied to them and said that I was going for a swimming session with my friend. As he insisted so much I had to go, after receiving all the details about the show I started getting ready and as no one was not at home that time FOR THE FIRST I TIME IRONED MY CLOTHES. After getting ready I left my home with all black attire in 43 degrees, and just a wallet and a cellphone in my pocket.

I never traveled in an auto alone so I didn’t know how and where to get one from in the first place. Later when an E rickshaw stopped after hearing me shout “AUTO BRO” he said that he’d take 40 rupees from Judge Colony to Vaishali Metro Station I thought that I should ask for a lower fare so I said to him that either take 30 rupees or leave it andddd guess what he left. After 5 minutes another E rickshaw came by and he said that he’d take 50 rupees I already after having my heart broken by the previous guy sat in his E rickshaw and didn’t say a word

After arriving at the metro station, I met Abaan bhai we greeted each other with a goated dap and then I told him that I would have to buy a ticket because I didn’t have a metro card but his Paytm came in clutch but I never used my phone to buy a metro ticket so I used his metro card. After being seated in the metro we talked about how Macbeth changed me as a person (I performed a monologue in which I was Macbeth) after that we talked about Abaan bhai’s cuet marks and DAMN.

We arrived at our metro station where we left our comfortable seats (satire) and headed for the Kamani Auditorium.

Walking to that place I told Abaan bhai that how talking to a baddie on chat is an art in itself which he agreed on. We crossed a few roads and then we were there. Looking at that place I could tell that it was a PROPER theater (I’d never been to one) as it was very hot and humid. Abaan bhai suggested that we should have ice cream which was a great idea so I got a blue lagoon and Abaan bhai got some random ass ice cream I don’t remember bro. Then as we were having our ice cream crowd started to appear and I was enjoying watching everyone’s basic ass drip (I should not judge people by their clothes). The crowd really started to build up and few people were not happy with the fact that the guards working there were not letting them in 10 minutes prior to the show so few people started to flex their typical South Delhi English on those guards and I mean bro they were just doing what they were told to do just chill out bro but I guess not everyone can be as cool as a 6’3 guy eating blue lagoon ice cream.

Then the gates opened and me and my mate entered. As Abaan bhai was discussing our passes at the counter I was trying to admire the architecture of that place (emphasis on the word ‘trying’).

We got our passes which were nothing but just a chit on which our seat number was written.

After being seated they asked us to put our phone on airplane mode which I did because Abaan bhai told me how when one time a guy was dragged backstage just because he didn’t set his phone on silent.

The play began and the musician started to play some background music and I should say that THAT GUY WAS TALENTED AF. Then entered a guy who was almost his retiring age who was talking to his wife on his keypad phone about how he’ll be retiring in 3 months, then entered an IT technician who was convincing that old guy to retire his keypad phone before retiring from that job, just like that entered two other guys who had something going in their life as well after their genuinely funny chat entered their BOSS who informed them about that someone will be fired in few days because of the company’s poor performance then as each scene passed the ties of the characters also changed on which it was written the day. Then the other day the old guy was fired because one of the characters told their boss that the virus problem in their system arose because of that old guy and so, the other scenes passed by showcasing that how each character had their own life problems but I’m not here to share the whole damn script I might get a copyright infringement case filed on me I’m here to share my experience.

Dhumrapan was not just a story about how a gang of friends helped the old man but it was about something more it was about how each and every character had something going on their life that troubled them, one guy wants money to live with his son in America then the other guy does not love his wife and kids, the other guy no.2 was never loved by his mother, the other guy no.3 was just an unpaid intern in his father’s company lmao, the other guy no.4 was idk he seemed cool to me. This drama made its viewers, at least me question that ARE WE TRULY FREE?

We all have problems in our lives but why do we always find some medium to just escape from reality? This corporate drama showcased this aspect of our trapped life and maybe that’s why it’s named Dhoomrapan because, at the end of the day, they didn’t even know why they were smoking.

Overall, I loved that act like seriously it was genuinely very good, I enjoyed spending time with my good friend and I also saw some cool skaters. But you may ask ‘’but why Ansh why did you even bother to do all this when you could’ve just played f1 at home”. And the answer to that question my friends is that

I LOVE NEW EXPERIENCES.

This article was written by Ansh Vats. This was his first experience of attending a professionally crafted play. I am very fond of his writing style and I hope he writes more articles.

I am glad that his first play was an impactful one, with good pacing, lighting, music and overall the coming together of the flow of the act.

Shoutout to D for Drama for this amazing production which we were able to attend.