REVIEW: Katha

LOSING THE PLOT

Anand Mhasvekar's last play U Turn was a sensitive, witty and topical narrative about the loneliness of two elderly souls and their unsuccessful bid at seeking solace in each other on account of social pressures and their inability to break free. Wonderfully acted by Ila Bhate and Dr. Girish Oak, the play was an entertaining and moving experience.

With his new venture, Katha, the writer-director tries to tackle a different theme, but sticks to protagonists in a similar age group and, in a sense, harbouring the same sense of isolation, bitterness and fallibility, of the earlier play. This time he gets theatre veterans Vikram Gokhale and Suhas Joshi to play Shamrao and Malati Lele, a retired couple living by themselves in suburban Dombivali. A voiceover informs us that through a 35-year-old marriage, they've bickered and run each other down as a matter of daily routine.

A long introductory segment takes us through their childish squabbles as grumpy Shamrao spares no opportunity to pick a fight with the more affable and lively Malati. She too has gotten used to this cat and mouse game which probably adds a semblance of vigour to their otherwise listless lives. There's much talk of estrangement from their two kids -- the daughter for marrying a Muslim and the son for setting up an independent house with his wife and little son Bunty.

Along comes a young girl called Leena (Priyanka), who edges herself into their house as a paying guest (most unconvincingly) and at last the old couple find a purpose. It's pathetic to watch Shamrao in particular, cling to her, while refusing to talk to his own daughter on the phone or communicate with his son in any meaningful way. So much so, when the son requests them to look after his child for a few days, the couple actually manages to come to an agreement for once, and turn him away, mostly because they want to get back at him for deserting them.

Over and over again, we hear dialogues indicting the kids and a recounting of the sacrifices the couple made while raising them. One assumes the writer-director doesn't condone their behaviour, believable as it is. Leena's character has been put there to make them see sense.

But somehow, nothing falls into place as it should -- the narrative is inconsistent, the characterisation hackneyed, the dialogues lacklustre, and shockingly, Vikram Gokhale's performance is a huge let-down. Physically unfit, he runs out of breath so frequently, it's difficult to comprehend what he's saying much of the time and in effect, his halting dialogue delivery hampers the play's rhythm. Priyanka is competent in a role that doesn't have much to offer. But for Suhas Joshi's disarmingly spontaneous act, Katha would have been a disaster.

And even with it, it's just about okay.