Pune: A young artist known as Nobody presents a 70-minute play titled “Four Horsemen of Name, Fame, Pain and Death.” This satirical production explores the complexities of mental health and the challenges faced by emerging artists. The play critiques societal indifference towards mental well-being, shedding light on the often-overlooked struggles of youth in the creative field.
The first show premiered on Oct 10, 2025, observed as World Mental Health Day and also the death anniversary of Dutt.
Jadhav said, “I started to realise how the society ignores artists when they are alive and praises them, while expropriating their art, when they are gone. Jadhav said people only like art that flatters their ego and when an artist questions them, he becomes an outcast. “The main challenge I faced with the play was the responsibility and fear that come with addressing mental health struggles — given its sensitive nature as also the misinformation and taboo associated with it,” he added.
The play addresses the concerns through the lens of four characters. Filmmaker Guru Dutt , author Sylvia Plath and painter Van Gogh — known for mental health struggles reflected in their literary works and real life — as well as Shakespearean character Hamlet. The Clay Cart Theatre presents the play with Kashmira as the creative producer and art director, Shounak as production manager and Mustakim Shaikh responsible for lights. It is an attempt to address the mental health of artists and creative people and how society is apparently the root cause of their problems. The production explores society, love, parenting, history and education, portraying how these forces shape the mind of sensitive individuals. Writer, director and protagonist Rushikesh Jadhav inspiration to write and enact in the play came from witnessing the works of Dutt, Plath and Gogh — who died by suicide while they struggled with their lives, art and its clash with the society. This motivated my writing. Initially, the production started as a tour called Theatre on Wheels in south India.
It will be staged for the sixth time in Pune on Thursday at Sudarshan Rangmanch at 7pm.