By Hemang Palan

X: @hemang_palan

An illustrious Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw is famously credited with the insight: "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. His incisive views about messaging continue to guide and mentor millions of creative personalities worldwide who remain passionate about historical story telling through artistic stage productions in a bid to address ignorance and unawareness of the audiences and public at large. An American clergyman and author Cotton Mather firmly believed that history is the story of events, with praise or blame. And, history is interestingly more than a jangle of accidents, incidents, blunders, surprises, absurdities and distorted narratives.
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Viral Rachch – a 52-year old Jamnagar city-based practicing lawyer, creative personality and a theatre enthusiast has thus endeavoured to depict the correct and crucial role played by independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the unification of independent India between 1947 and 1950. It was an extremely challenging political integration of 562 autonomous princely states and British Indian provinces into a single nation. The upcoming Hindi stage play ‘Sardar’ written by Geeta Manek and directed by Viral Rachch portrays astute diplomacy skills, persuasive negotiations and firm resolve of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in creating a consolidated and unified Indian nation-state, often hailed for maintaining internal security during a chaotic post-independence period. Actor Manoj Joshi will be seen as ‘Sardar’ in this stage production produced by NeemTree Entertainment promoted by producer Bhoomi Dhanraj Nathwani - a renowned and highly respected creator of  world’s first mega musical theatrical experience on Shri Krishna – “Rajadhiraaj: Love Life Leela".