Translated work “Auta Sapanako Awasan” by Poet Viplov Pratik been released

KATHMANDU: “Auta Sapanako Awasan,” the Nepali adaptation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” has been officially released and made available to readers by We Read.

In an event held in Lalitpur, the book was jointly unveiled by poet and translator Viplov Pratik, Director Anup Baral and Producer Govinda Parajuli, production/sound designer Dev Neupane, and theater actors Deeya Maskey, Bikash Joshi, Suraj Malla, Abishek Khadka, and Abiral Pratap Adhikari.

The Nepali version of the play, “Auta Sapanako Awasan,” had its initial stage debut at Mandala Theater in Chaitra, 2079 BS. We Read informed that this theatrical production ran for 36 shows over a period of 33 days.

During the book launch event, poet and translator Viplob Pratik expressed his delight in bringing a stage play to readers in the form of a book. He revealed that the decision to publish a written book was not made until after the play had been staged. Pratik described the process of translating and staging “Death of a Salesman” as the most significant work of his life. He also shared that although he was offered a role in the play, his busy schedule prevented his participation.

Director Anup Baral emphasized that the play goes through two births—first during the scriptwriting phase and then in its live staging. “After reading a book, you do like to leave it in a dark corner and never look back,” he said, “but I wanted to keep the book ‘Death of a Salesman’ on my pillow and felt that it deserved to be performed.” He recounted his initial efforts to have it translated into Hindi, but the project faced a setback when the translation manuscript was lost. Baral expressed gratitude that Viplob Pratik had now translated and staged the play, and the book had been published.

Actress Deeya Maskey, who portrayed the character of Leela in the play, shared that it was psychologically challenging to inhabit the role. She revealed that her performance drew inspiration from observing and connecting with the daily lives of her mother, sister, sister-in-law, and others. Producer Govinda Parajuli expressed his motivation to direct theater in Nepal to create a more commercially viable environment for drama. He recounted the two-year journey from script discussions to staging the play in a theater. Actor Bikash Joshi revealed that after each performance, he felt a sense of emptiness.

“Death of a Salesman” was originally staged 742 times on Broadway Theatre in New York in 1949 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in the same year. This renowned play, which has been adapted into various languages, including Nepali. It also has been adapted into a film in many languages in different countries. We Read shared that “Death of a Salesman” has been staged in numerous countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, and India, in their respective languages.