by Ashwini Gupte
MUMBAI, OCT 7, 2016: Don Bosco High School, Matunga celebrated the Marathi language through the staging of one-act plays in the Don Bosco International School's Bianchi Hall. The judges who graced the 
occasion were all praise for the boys, lauding them for their diction, performance and attention to detail.
The Red house staged 'Sada Ranadecha kay karaycha?' showing us the upheaval in a small 'chawl' when they learn that one of their own is HIV positive. The ostracised, Sadashiv Ranade, retorts during the climax, "You are not worthy of living, as you don't respect a person as a human being."
He brings tears to their eyes as he shares the condition of people affected by HIV, the problems they have to go through, the heartless world they live in- a telling statement about the society we live in today.
The Yellow House through 'Pratidnya' raised a pertinent question- Though we take the Pledge everyday in school, do we act according to the values enshrined therein? They depicted how, though the real values required in life are what the Pledge teaches us, we do not put into practice what we recite.
The Blue House with 'Jeevan Ek Rangamancha' explained how life is a stage and we need to choose wisely, be on the side of the good, oppose and end evil, forget frivolous enmity, learn to be positive and intrepid in order to overcome difficulties; make a choice between becoming virtuous like Lord Rama or demonic like Ravan.
The Green House took us through 'Khudu nako ga Aai' and made us see people's abominable attitude towards a girl child even in today's times. The play, through thought-provoking questions urged the viewer to think about the archaic mindset of patriarchal society, one that still refuses to accept girls and boys as equals.
While all groups aimed at instilling positive change, the Red house won top honours for their play on an HIV-infected person. Aarnav Marathe and Harsh Mehta - from Red house - were awarded the best actor award for their roles in the male and female performance category.