Kathmandu:

If there are no opportunities around, you should create them; the more you can tell lies, use falsehood and convince people with it, the better for you. Dr Kanak, the new play being staged at Gurukul, is an adaptation of the French play Dr Knock by Jules Romains.

The play has been translated by Kalpana Ghimire and directed by Sunil Pokhrel.

The story revolves around a new doctor, Dr Kanak who has come to work in Sundarpur, and the previous one Dr Palpali eager to leave the place in search of new opportunities. Where Dr Palpali saw only darkness, it is Dr Kanak’s ingenuity that he is able to see the brighter side. The play throws light on the realities of rural life, where uneducated people are easily misled and duped. It also deals with human psychology and how people can be easily convinced to believe what you want them to believe if you use the right means.

Compared to other plays directed by Pokhrel, this one has a lot of comedy. He says, “The last play we did was very serious, so we decided to give the audience something light this time.”

He adds, “I find it comparatively difficult to direct comedies as I’m not very used to it.”

However, his team this time is more familiar with comic plays. “Since the topic was heavy, I decided to make it a comic one to maintain the balance. It would be better able to send the message across.”