FAMILIES THAT STAY TOGETHER...
At first glance Akvarious' production of Rafta Rafta, adapted by Ayub Khan-Din (who wrote perhaps the most intelligent diaspora film, East Is East, a few years ago) from a 1962 play by Bill Naughton seems dated. Not in terms of treatment, but the content itself appears old-fashioned. A big fat Punjabi wedding in a working class ghetto of Manchester, a young couple living in a small household with the boy's parents and younger brother, a clash of generations and of cultural values between Indian parents and their British born kids -- all peppered with a liberal dash of humour.
Yet, I'm told, not much has changed for a community that's still desperately trying to cling to its indigenous roots. A piquant mix of tradition and modernity makes for great comedy when it's performed by a scintillating cast with impeccable timing, in sequences that hinge largely on repartee.
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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.
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CITY OF SHATTERED DREAMS
Jayant Pawar's new play Kaay Danger Wara Sutalaya paints a depressing and very scary picture of contemporary life in Mumbai. Unfortunately for us, it may not be far from the truth. On the one hand is a multi-media presentation of an award function for the city's builders, with politicians, film stars and assorted dignitaries in attendance. On the other is the story of a simple-minded, middle-class insurance agent called Dabhade (Anil Gawas in a heartbreakingly honest performance) who believes that if he does no harm to anyone, no harm will ever come to him. Contrasted with Dabhade's character is a young man called Baban who has recently migrated to the city and starts off by collecting debris and sorting it before taking on various other odd jobs, none of which earn him enough money to sustain. A sutradhar ties these narrative threads together and acts like a wake-up call to our collective conscience.
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