Dhoop Chaoon Annual Show

By- Sarika Jaswani

Dhoop Chaoon theater group of Atlanta presented their 2023 annual show on December 9th at Berkmar High School in Lilburn GA. 50 artists and volunteers came together as a team for renditioning the magnus opuses Panch Parmeshwar written by Munshi Prem Chand and Gaj Foot Inch penned by K.P. Saxena. Kunwara Bechara and Dhoop Chaoon Hungama were abridged performances entailed in a 3-hour show.

Under the expert direction of Sandhya Saxena Bhagat and patronage of Anil Bhagat the omnibuses Panch Parmeshwar and Gaj Foot Inch jumped out of the pages on to oratorical reality. The hors d’ oeuvre in the Broadway style histrionics had all the flavors of Navrasa: action, drama, comedy and even flash mob dancing.
DC theater group is one-of-a-kind theater group established and based in Atlanta, Georgia since the year 2007. Ushering everyday lives as Dhoop Chaoon (sun and shade) which quite literally means incorporating all the light and dark shades of life and presenting them as anecdotes that have their own distinctive color, aura, and style. DC runs on two main objectives; conservation and transference of Hindi language & culture and to entertain. DC has 127 permanent members with many who contribute behind the scenes.

The group is closely associated with Indian Consulate and brags small productions all throughout the year, here in Atlanta and all-around USA. The dedicated team personifies the name Dhoop Chaoon wherein Sandhya Bhagat Saxena is the Dhoop (sun), and the team members are the Chaoon (shade) that gather under her light and keep the metaphoric Solar system alive in the Milky Way of Atlanta.

Panch Parmeshwar by Munshi Prem Chand, who is considered ‘Upanyas Samrat’, is one of his literary works that bears the stamp of communal togetherness. His writings provide vivid images of the social and political life of early years of twentieth century. He immortalized ordinary characters from everyday life through his brilliant storytelling and captivating expression. Munshi Prem Chand was both idealist and realist and his writings reflect a gentle balance of both.

The theme of ‘Panch Parmeshwar’ story revolves around the importance of placing equitability over self-interest.
Performing Artists: Manish Dubey, Poornima Raj, Sarika Jaswani, Avdhesh Bhardwaj, Krishan Kumar, Anil Jaswani, Seema Pillay, Sidharth Garg and others.

Dr. Kalika Prasad Saxena ( Popular name K.P.Saxena) was a satirist par excellence, a lecturer of Botany, a prolific writer, a renowned columnist, a poet, and a dialogue writer of Hindi films, all rolled into one. ‘Gaj Foot Inch’ is a love story packaged in a brilliant comedy. Punch line of the story revolves around the characters evolution from measuring love to realizing the incalculable, immeasurability of love.

Performing Artists: Rita Kapahi, Anil Jaswani, Sidharth Garg, Amit Prasad, Shabana Sayeed, Deepti Sharma, Nitish Dubey.
‘Kunwara Bechara’ a lighthearted comedy revolves around women empowerment; a women should be who and what she wants and that there is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.
Performing Artists: Asha Gupta, Chandni Agarwal, Asha Sharma, Rita Kapahi, Vandana Tantia, Aarti Jain, Akanksha Tiwari, Amit Prasad, Meenakshi Iyer, Seema Pillay
‘Dhoop Chaoon Hungama’ a flash mob style dance performed by: Poornima Raj, Surbhi Jain, Nitish Dubey

Dhoop Chaoon is thankful to all the volunteers, sponsors, and supporters: 
Behind the curtains: light and sound – Jayesh Jhurani, Videography – Puneet Bhatnagar, Photography –Swayam Sarkar, Front desk – Paresh Jain, Shuchi Khanna, Dheeraj Kumar, Meenakshi Iyer, Shiva Chawda, Lakshmi Chawda, Dheeraj Lunawat, Food – Madhav Katdare, Salochina Oad, Asha Sharma, Asha Gupta, Arvind Gupta, Mirudul Dubey, Meenal Dubey, Soumya Dubey, Sets - Neev Seedani, Raj Seedani, Premanand Goswami, Moiz Husain, Manish Dubey, Dheeraj Lunawat, Sidharth Garg, Avdhesh Bhardwaj, Krishan Kumar,Saluchana Oad, Anil Jaswani, Master of the ceremony – Anshuman Bajpai, Bhrushira Vyas, Makeup artist – Pearl Sudan, Angel Sudan, Marketing – Priya Kumar, Backstage help – Kartikay Bhagat, Anil Bhagat, Correspondent – Sarika Jaswani
Sponsors: M. G.S. Yadav, Shahid Ali, Priyanka Agarwal, Jyotindra Trivedi, Dr. Naresh Parikh, Sudhir Agarwal, Desi Brothers, Bamboo Gardens
Supporters: Aslam Pervaz, Ritambhara Mittal, Talat Alvi, Chandran Oad, Aligarh Alumni Association, Dubey’s Literature of Arts, Photography Services,Udipi
Media Supporters: Indians in Atlanta, NRI pulse, Khabar, Atlanta Dunia, Rashtra Darpan
Special thanks to Madan Ghildiyal from Indian Consulate Atlanta

Dhoop Chaoon Theater Group performs all around the year. Below are the series of events produced and performed during 2023:-
11th Jan 2023 
International Hindi celebration, Consulate of India at Global Mall

March 5th Bajam-E-Adab, literarily program recitation of the story Kaki and poetry recitation on a poetry written by Sandhya Saxena Bhagat

August 4th, Organized by -AABAHA art and theater festival, Atlanta.
Aadhe Adhure written by Mohan Rakesh

July, August
Dhoop Chaoon group organized first Theater workshop with Renowned Bollywood Actors Shishir Sharma and Renita Kapoor.

Five week sessions July 9th to August 6th planning for second workshop.

September 30th
Aadhe Adhure play performance written by Mohan Rakesh
in Milpitas (Bay Area), California 


October 21st
Aadhe Adhure play performance written by Mohan Rakesh
in the Indian Consulate, New York at the Fifth international Hindi conference.

Nov 
Our group has performed at Diwali celebration of  
Bank of America 

Dec 9th Dhoop Chaoon annual function

Will perform in Nashville on Jan,27th.
Baap re Baap( written by K.P.Saxena)