A cricket match- catch or dance?
( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए - यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 20 देखिए )
When the play is a mad comedy and that too in a language the reviewer doesn't know then you can well gouge the level of the article's propriety. But that is not going to desist me from going ahead with my pen aka keyboard. Well, one thing certainly qualifies me for moving forward in my write-up is that I am equally mad like the play. And surely I don't have any doubt in the reader's qualification too.
There is a quarrel between two regal warriors for gaining the authority of a kingdom located somewhere in ancient India. And when all efforts fail then Imran Khan from Pakistan turns up at once and suggests to conduct a cricket match. Whoever wins the match, the throne will be his only. A fierce cricket match is played when many a batsman is declared out in a succession but then comes a mighty batsman who hits the ball up in the sky. Many skilled fielders are gearing up to catch the ball. See, now the whole match is a function of ball drop. If it falls in a fielder's hands his team will win the match as well as the throne. But if the 'catch' is dropped then it will be a 'sixer' and then the batsman's team will win. This is a very tricky situation. But the solution is easy. Suddenly, Devasena appears on the dias in full swing of dancing charisma all fielders are hyptonised. The catch is dropped and the match is lost. In a most deft manner, the scriptwriter has allegorically conveyed that when the attention of the voters is drifted away from the core issues by introducing irrelevant but attractive matters like Devesena's dance then the result is a complete loss. This trick is often used by a ruling or opposition parties in an inefficient form of democracy that prevails in several regions like Pakistan.
Had I comprehended the quickly spoken dialogues in Marathi more, perhaps I could have seen several issues like female infanticide, farmer's issues, judicial ineffectiveness and a lot more kneaded into the script.
The audience was seen bursting in guffaws after almost every dialogue. Each character was distinctive in look, style and characteristics. The inflow of all characters from different contexts and times may look absurd but at the same is the very strength of the play.
The 'vetal' (phantom) does not ride the back of Bikramaditya only and is seen hopping around from one's back to another. But when once, he tries to use a female's shoulders as his seat (like that of Vikramaditya) then Katappa warns him of decorum and even a ghost like 'Vetal' understands his duty to respect the modesty of a woman whereas in real world, even a so-called honourable human being often fails in it.
This majestic work seems chiefly to be the brainchild of the scriptwriter, director and lyricist Santosh Pawar. The different characters in the play were Bahubali, Bhallaldev, Shivagamini, Katappa, Shaista Khan, Shishupal, Devasena, Shatabai, Vikram-Vetal, Imran Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Shehenshah etc. The actors names were not revealed on the ticket or poster.
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