Sultan - a Hindi play by Darakht Theatre Co. on 17.06.2023 in Versova (Mumbai)

What is the aim of life other than dying?

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 22 देखिए )

The play looks purposeless movements of actors and you get annoyed to the brim. 

There is nothing more than mundane banality in it and you get a good dose of annoyance and irritation. 

The striking fact is that howsoever absurd it may look, this is the true replica of the life of today in everyone's own world.

As of now I have seen a number of absurdist plays in Mumbai. Almost in all of them I found: One,  nobody is caring to anybody even not to himself. Second, a pray for little favour is made by a weak person and it is willingly ignored by the influential character up to the end of the play (and perhaps after the end also if you could see). And the repulsive forces of persistent anomalies dishearten viewers but they are never distracted as they are actually watching the most authentic version of contemporary human life on global level.

The tragedy lies not in the circumstances but the fact that no one wants to get out of it. All are trapped in their banalities bereft of human values. All are together but without a bond. There is hardly an eye contact between the characters and everyone is lost in himself.  Even while Rajshekhar and Julie see each other they are seeking their own goal - carnal pleasure by one side and economic security by the other side.

Rajshekhar is a tycoon having multi-crores business of civil construction contracts. He has a pet tiger named as Sultan. The tiger is never seen on the stage but his roar is heard throughout the play as if he is talking to his master Rajshekhar. His sound sleep is broken by a phone ring in which he gets the alert that there is a shortfall of 3000 bags of cement and there are only 7000 bags. He instructs to make these 7000 bags content to that of 10000 bags. This unscrupulous act of himself is defended by himself " What the hell if the building collapses and thousands of people die. After all the ultimate aim of life is dying only and I am helping them out to achieve their goal early." Suddenly he gets a strong attack of body pain along with an unbearable headache. He shouts to call his doctor who appears and helps him out by giving a dose of morphine. The moment Rajshekhar gets some relief he lashes out on the doctor that he has been hired to get him out of drug addiction and not to serve it. 

Rajshekhar asks the doctor if he is at peace with his life which is answered in an affirmation.  On this he dials to the hospital and instructs them to discharge the wife of his attendant doctor immediately who is in the terminal stage of her cancer. After this the attendant doctor is never at peace and remains extremely restless as he know the moment his wife is discharged from the hospital she will die. Then the family priest appears with his preaching of peace and happiness ever. The motive of the priest is to get donation of Rs. 5000/- and in response to it he gets that of Rs. 10,00,000/-. The peace of the priest goes away at that moment and then after he remains in a state of ecstatic lunacy. Then comes Julie, the beloved of Rajshekhar. She is pregnant of the child of Rajshekhar and wants to marry him. For some while, Rajshekhar plays with her sweet will and then suddenly get morphine injection administered to her by the doctor. The morphine has already been served to the priest to pacify him from the economic ecstasy. The phone rings again and it is known that the doctor's wife is dead. The doctor is hot under the collar over Rajshekhar and wants to kill him. But, Rajshekhar consoles him saying that she was dead before her discharge. Then Rajshekhar himself administers morphine injection to the doctor and then he shoots his loving pet tiger Sultan. In the end he shoots himself. 

It is worthy to mention here that the cheque of Rs.10 lakh which made the priest mad was not signed.

The picture frame kept falling from the wall intermittently throughout the play.

The play originally written in Marathi language by Mahesh Elkunchwar had been presented in Hindi by Darakht Theatre Co and was directed by Lokesh Verma. The actors were Devanshi Chaudhary ( Julie), Kashish Anand (Rajshekhar), Nishant Bajaj (Doctor) and Akshay Prajapat (Priest). Valuable backstage supports were from Sound Design (Lokesh Varma), Light Design (Mohit Popli) and Production Manager (Mehak Chopra). The Design & Direction was by Lokesh Varma.

Akshay Prajapati influenced everybody with his spiritual aura and a comical madness over unbelievable economic gain. Kashish Anand was able to show the state of a man trapped in menacing maze of unhappiness. Whereas the accent of Akshay carried an air of pseudo-serene peacefulness, Kashish was also in perfect shape of full vigour of ego trampling all of his own scruples. Devanshi Chaudhary tried her best to present a tough synthesis of love and selfishness and succeeded to some extent. Nishant Bajaj displayed a good show of restlessness whose wife's last some hours of life was being snatched by the cruel master.

There was no charm, attraction or happiness in any manner in dialogue, body-movements, dress-sense or set-design that goes well with the core theme of absurdism. 

The play leads you to a cul-de-sac and seems to lose the meaning of purpose perfectly. But viewers, just see the volte-face of it. And this is where the playwright intends you to go.

A good show by Darakht Theatre Co!

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Review by - Hemant Das 'Him'
Respond to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com
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"Jaayaz Hatyaare" - Hindi play staged in Versova (Mumbai) on 03.06.2023

 The Litmus test of a just murder

( हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 21 देखिए )

Committing a murder is not merely a body-act but also a much much deeper psychological act. A murderer first kills his own humanity before killing someone else. Alas! He has to do it knowingly when he happens to be a part of a violent revolutionary group. See, a revolutionary group is also made up of human beings and not of robots or machines. They too have minds and hearts. Even while nurturing the strongest commitment for the broader benefit of human community the despicable means he adopts make him shivering too.

The British Rule in India was based on tyranny and injustice and murder of a British Governor is planned by the revolutionary party.

"Killing is a sin" is known to every member but all of them develop different self-defense mechanism for conserving his/her moral plinth. A jail-returned member is so battered by his past experiences with the administration that he has turned into a murder maniac like a wild animal. His only ambition is to wreck havoc through his dastardly acts for the sake of revolution. Once he asks the bomb-maker woman as how many bombs will it take to blow off the whole city.  There is also a humane member who decides to abstain completely from a direct involvement in murderous act and choses a more sober path like joining it's propaganda wing. The same is the mental state of the female revolutionary who is expert in bomb-making. Her consolation is that even though her bombs kill humans but she does not have to kill them directly. Whenever she is with her lover member she talks about her past peaceful life full of love and harmony. There is a Captain-like character who somehow keeps every member enthused about the mission of the revolution and provides logistic as well as philosophical support for committing murder. 

One thing is clear that they all are brave and honest in their purpose. They do not have any self-seeking interest in their cause. They all are ready to sacrifice their life and all the pleasures of it just for the sake of crores of their compatriots. They too have desires for happy, peaceful and loving life but they sacrifice their desires for ensuring love, peace and prosperity of their countrymen. Even the member who has abstained from participating in direct killing and joined the propaganda wing and that woman who also only makes bombs and never throws it know well that the danger is the same as that of a killer. Since if caught, they all will be hanged by the government. But it is their moral dilemma that keeps them away from becoming a direct murderer.

Even the member who chooses his role of throwing bomb on the Governor fails to do so once only because he sees two innocent kids sitting in the vehicle with the Governor. For killing the Governor he cannot kill the innocent kids also. It is only in the second attempt when he kills the Governor ensuring well that his wife or kids are not killed. 

The dilemma deepens further after the Governor is killed and the killer is jailed. There is feelings of both win and loss in the heart of the killer. He has won in his Cause but has lost on humanity.  In the jail, three characters namely Co-prisoner, Police Chief and Governor's wife meet him. The wife of the killed Governor elaborates the details of the humane side of Governor's killing and the killer is deeply repentant learning that he has killed a person who also possessed a kind heart internally. After her, the Police Chief tries to convince him that he should accept that he has repentance for murder and he believes that it is not going to help his revolutionary cause. If he does so his life would be saved. But the killer prefers himself to be hanged for two reasons - One he wants to do penance for his humane sin and secondly for saving himself from the another sin of betraying his revolution. After his execution, his lover woman  (the bomb-maker) continues the revolution further so that she should also be executed like her lover. 

This play directed by Saumya Tewari was the Hindi adaptation of the French play "The Just Assasins" by Albert Camus. Actors were Adarsh Chaudhary, Saurabh Jha, Ashish Sharma, Saumya Tewari, Arpit Sipani, Aabi Deswal, Mansi Sharma and Manish Yadav. Music input was from Saurabh Ranakoti and on Lights was Karan Singh Gahlot. 

Hindi adaptation by Suresh Bhardwaj and Deepa Sahi is so natural that it tastes like an original Hindi play. Saumya Tewari's direction was fine in the way that she has taken good output from somewhat new actors. Her dialogue-delivery lets the audience enter a deep contrast of love and revolution. The jail-returned member cast good effect as an angry man. His body-movements and force in dialogue-delivery were perfect. The Captain looked cool, composed and yet commanding as desired. The Killer was successful in bringing out the infighting of his heart to the viewers. The Governor's wife, The Co-prisoner (and also the hang-man), and Police Chief did their work well on the stage. Some of the actors kept their eyes closed while delivering the dialogues. This can be justified for soliloquies but not for all dialogues. The director may look on it. 

On the whole, the play secured it's place in the viewer's memory for it's intense content and the way it was delivered with support of good acting skills.

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Review by- Hemant Das 'Him'

Send your responses to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com

"Yada Kadachit Returs" - a Marathi play staged in Vashi (Navi Mumbai) on 27.05.2023

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.

The whole show is a symphony of script, action, choreography and other effects. The whole show is knitted with captivating choreography that carries a typical signature of Marathi culture. I would recommend the Marathi knowing people strongly in favour of watching the play.
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Review by - Hemant Das 'Him'
Send you response to- hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com

(Note: The drama team may send their cast names and photos for inclusion in the article).

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"Tu Tu Me Me" - a Marathi play staged in Dadar (Mumbai) on 13.05.2023

When wives are exchanged ..! 

हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 18 देखिए 

The biggest riddle on this earth is wife. You can never understand what she likes and what she doesn't. And the vice-versa is equally true from a women's perspective. So, there are two pairs of husband-wife and I think it does not need any elaboration that both the couples are in deep trouble. In both the case, the wife does not like the husband and the husband does not like the wife. Both couples are the next door neighbours and to add spice to the story, it has already come to the surface that each of the wife is the earlier girlfriend of the other's husband. The disputes rise to a level that police is called. But you must be knowing that police can control hordes of dreaded criminals but not a husband-wife. In this interesting stretch, the two husband-wife keep quarrelling to their own spouses and are seen busy in dreaming rekindling their love stories with their respective old flames. Fun, humour and entertainment is at the peak on this level for both the characters and the viewers. There are many sequences of dances with full original songs for the relish of the audience.

Now, there is no surprise in mentioning that they actually reach a point where divorces seem to be the only solution. Both the couples contact the same advocate who calls all the four to his office. The advocate suggests them that the judicial divorce is a time taking process so it is better to first have a taste of second married life as wished by both the couples. It meant that each of the husbands should live with the other's wife (i.e. his earlier girlfriend) for at least 15 days when the date of court appearing comes. Both the wives and the also the husbands are very excited on the idea and begin living as per the new arrangement. But the problem arises when one of the wives is found 3 month's pregnancy by the doctor. Surprisingly her new partner is very happy that his new wife will give birth to a child and he will be called as a father. He has a reason for it. His actual wife (now living with another man) had  aborted without his consent and so he had been missing his unborn child very much. But this woman who is living with another man is perplexed. Will it be good for the child to take birth in the house of a man who is not his father? So she decides to abort. When this news reaches to her actual husband (living with another woman) he is restless and wants to save his child in any manner. He rushes to the house where his wife has been living now. And a big fight ensues. Let me not divulge further. The viewer should watch the play to know what happens hereafter.

The other woman (who is not pregnant) is a fashion queen and relishes in ordering her husband to bind her shoe-strings. Her ex-lover (now living with her) finds that she has not remained such a woman now for whom his heart throbbed earlier. 

This play is a magic of the script which is marvelous. The script not only keeps the story recharged with full amount of humour from the first to the last point of the story but also raises many many burning and pertinent social issues to the fore. It shows clearly as what could happen when people adopt the wanton course of new marital life with their earlier girlfriends leaving behind their respective wife. The matter of pregnancy is just illustrative and not exhaustive. It actually alludes to the fact that a woman can never feel free of her earlier husband and a man can never cut absolutely from his earlier wife.

The writer Kedar Shinde has also succeeded as a director and the way he showed two synchronous marital stories in single view set-design was superb! I want to cite a scene when the advocate advices the wives to live temporarily with their respective ex-lover then the the wives feel ashamed of social stigma and rush suddenly to their respective husband. They are ready to live with their ex-bf only when it is made clear that the boyfriend will not touch his girlfriend till divorce. The director has been able to show the social barrier at full intensity. 

It is still unbelievable for me that he was a single person called Bharat Yadav who appeared as 14 absolutely different characters like father, police officer, watchman, peanut seller, soothsayer, waiter, advocate, professor, salesman, co-passenger and many more. He is really a genius. Kamlakar Satpute, Nikhil Chavan, Aishwarya Shinde and Ruchira Jadav did full justice to their respective character of husband or wife. One remarkable point about the show is that all the actors did impress with their remarkable dancing skills too. One of the male actors advances his stomach at several occasions as a humour gesture. When there is already a glut of natural humour in the play, what's the use of this artificial fun gesture? Otherwise that male actor has indisputably shown his good acting skills in the show.

Superb pithy songs from Guru Thakur set in music by Ashok Patki were vital to the roaring success of the show. Lights from Shital Talpade and background support from Pradip Mulche also added to the value.

Even though I don't understand Marathi fully still I enjoyed the play thoroughly. And the series of loud guffaws mixed with emotive vocal responses from the viewers were testimony of quintessential Marathi fun.
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Review by- Hemant Das 'Him'

Respond to - hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com

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"Charcha Tar Honarach" - Marathi play staged in Vashi (Mumbai) on 06.05.2023

The ideological turf - a fierce battle

हिंदी में समीक्षा के लिए -   यहाँ क्लिक करके क्रम सं. 18 देखिए 

Whether this is a matter of might or thought is itself a controversial point but the nationalistic sweep on global level cannot be denied since last a few decades. There is a clear gain in a number of countries on ideological turf all over the world. This is not possible without a strong base of ideology. The medium of drama cannot keep itself aloof from it and addressing it symbolically may not be very effective in eliciting it with full ramifications. Elucidation on it needs to be outright wordy and spontaneous. This will allow the electricity of debate to reach viewers without any transmission loss. And the Marathi play "Charcha Tar Honarch" is just a corollary of it.

To put this heavily word-centric ideological battle on stage might not have been easy but the scriptwriter has thought an innovative way to create two intellectual debating characters in their pristine forms with bringing one more character - a judge-like person who has come from an international NGO with a task to choose the winner. For putting some dramatic spice there is a prize of Rs. Eleven Lakh for the winner. The woman debater is supporter of liberal thoughts and the man debater is one who takes pride in the past only. Each of the both is given chance to express his/her views on different controversial issues like Feminism, Traditions, Faviourite books etc.

The whole play was so replete of ideological Marathi words and the actors were so fast in Marathi tongues that it was really difficult for me to see the clear picture of the ideological salvos and the fencings built-in. Nevertheless I am giving below what I could make out of the silhouettes.

Incidentally the woman debater wins the debate and gets the 11 lakh rupees as prize. But she gives Rs. 5.5 lakh out of it to her contender. This symbolic cession of monetary benefit signifies an extremely important reality that an idea can not stand without it's antithesis and a society needs actually a perfect mix of both. None of them is more or less important rather both are valuable and both should survive for the progress of mankind.  

Hemant Edlabadkar is the writer and director of the play while Aastad Kale, Kshitij Jharapkar and Aditi Sarangdhar were the actors. The scriptwriter has shown his guts to depict the topics in it's true form without any manipulation which everyone tries to evade. So he must be praised. All the three actors acted well. The man in NGO officer's role impressed with his British accent. The man debater might have been more natural. The set-design was impressive and the  walls seemed to be a true replica of that of a JNU hostel. The colour of kurta of man debater should have been more different from the colour of window-screens and window-frames to make his appearance more impactful. 

Overall, it was a thought-provoking play which fills a very wide gap pervading in the society nowadays where nobody wants to discuss the most important matters. The dedication of the producer for social theme is praiseworthy and this is obvious that this product from their side is more for social benefit than for a monetary benefit.

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Review by- Hemant Das 'Him'
Respond to- hemantdas2001@gmail.com / editorbejodindia@gmail.com

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