About The Event
Set in pre-Independence Banaras, the play unfolds as the British Viceroy prepares to visit the city. While the colonial administration struggles to present a spotless and orderly Banaras, local citizens organize a strike in protest against the Viceroy's arrival. To break the movement, the magistrate enlists the help of the gluttonous and self-serving priest Moteram, who theatrically announces a hunger strike (satyagraha) to pressure the public into abandoning their protest. What follows is a hilarious chain of deception, hypocrisy, and political manipulation. Through sharp wit and satire, the play exposes the misuse of religion, opportunism, and the absurdities of both colonial authority and human greed, while remaining one of Premchand's most entertaining social commentaries.
