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Gujarati nataks brim with class acts: NCPA's Vasant Gujarati Natya Utsav 2014




Piroj Wadia



NCPA's Vasant Natya Utsav this year in March indicated that Gujarati theatre is still driving audiences. The younger generation of theatre professionals continues to give a fine contemporary tweak to classics and older plays, besides new writing. South Mumbai cannot perhaps compete with Vile Parle, where Gujarati plays could well give Bollywood a stiff contest at the box office. The turnout at the NCPA over the three-day festival showed that outstation troupes draw attention for their finesse and content and the troupes also consider it a privilege to walk the floorboards at the NCPA. Now in its 4th consecutive season, the Vasant Natya Utsav has certainly drawn attention of the theatre aficionados in the city.

By presenting festivals with a regional connect and giving a platform to talent outside Mumbai, the NCPA reiterated its mission of promoting the best in the Performing Arts. In Mumbai, Gujarati theatre has been a significant contributor to the cultural heartbeat of the city. This festival was aimed at bringing to the fore the exciting and innovative face of Gujarati theatre. Two groups from Ahmedabad, one each from Surat and Navsari and one from Mumbai, showcased off-beat, finely mounted plays.
The opening play HOLI is an adaptation of Mahesh Elkunchwar's iconic 1969 play (which was also made into a film by Ketan Mehta).

HOLI

This version was set in a college in 2014 and was a powerful manifestation of the angst of college students for the prevailing system of higher education and autocracy of the administration. Be it 1969 or 2014, the issues the play puts forward are universal. The lives of a group of hostel residents take a dreadful turn on Holi, a festival that signifies the victory of good over evil. Who is responsible for the suicide of a youth? The victim himself out of guilt for betraying his friends? His friends who ragged him for his gay leanings or the college management that misused its power?

The raw youth energy that emanated from the stage that evening had a telling effect on the audience. The outburst of anger and violence were fine tuned by passionate performances. The special appearances by veterans like Krutika Desai, Bakul Thakkar and Yogesh Upadhyay meshed in. But the evening and the best performances undoubtedly belonged to the ensemble of young actors. Director Hussaini Dawawala co-adapted the play with Prayag Dave and Prarthi Dholakia. Roop Rekha Production's Holi was a fitting start for the festival.

HAJI EK VARTA was an anthology of seven different stories penned by renowned Gujarati writers, specially designed and woven together by director Abhinay Banker for the Utsav.

HAJI EK VARTA

Each story has a connect with daily life -- its tribulations and joys, sprinkling it with doses of an inherent hilarity. 'Zeni' by Moti Prakash reflected on friendship; Ahmad Nadeem Kazmi's 'Be Maa' depicted hilarious unending fights between two neighbours; Jyotindra Dave's 'Chhakdo' dwelt on the unique attachment a driver has with his autorickshaw; 'Soy Doro' also by Dave, is a child's view point that likened relationships to a needle and thread that stitches a piece of cloth together; Saroj Pathak's 'Maro Asbaab' sensitively examined the interdependence between a husband and wife; 'Maaru Baalpan' by director Abhinay Banker was a nostalgic rendition of vacations in the hometown, train journeys and the splendid joys of childhood but the piece-de-resistance is 'Cricket Ne Kaaman' by Bakul Tripathi, a wildly funny take on the cricket crazy populace and their superstitions about the game. The director who also acts in the play had the audiences in side-splitting laughter. Ahmedabad's Aarambh Arts Academy's HAJI EK VARTA gave the short story a boost in the arm with gripping, seamless performances.

ENCOUNTER, which has won several Gujarat State Awards, is an adaptation of Dario Fo's ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST.

ENCOUNTER

Kamal Hasanmohmmad Rangrej, a railway employee is arrested in connection with the bomb blast on the Garib Rath Express train. The police torture him into admitting to a crime, he hasn't committed. Kamal falls from the fourth floor and dies. The police insist it is suicide while the inquiry commission concludes that it was an accident. The Supreme Court hands over the inquiry to the CBI to find out what really happened.

Like the original, the twists and turns in the plot bring in the element of suspense. The play also takes up the universal questions of truth, justice and police impropriety. Directed by Pankaj Pathakji, this play about human rights has been adapted by Vilopan Desai. The Swaram Entertainer cast from Surat pitched in with excellent overall performances.

CHELLO PARSI


The genesis of CHELLO PARSI, an award winning play, goes back to the time of the Babri Masjid riots; when the actor-director Rumi Baria and actor-playwright Piyush Bhatt were perturbed about the extinction of the Parsi community. According to the writer's imagination, 200 years from now, there will be only two Parsis left in the world. The play starts with Sohrab giving an interview to an international network on the death of his friend Kersi, who has died just a couple hours ago. A flashback narrates how the media and corporate sponsors vied for interview rights with the last two Parsis and great value add-ons for the last Parsi alive! This thought-provoking black comedy has won dozens of awards at every Gujarati drama competition. This was the first performance in Mumbai, the bastion of the Parsi Community; hopefully more shows will follow.

In love with Mankunwar, a Rajput princess since his childhood, Shukdan has never plucked up courage to profess his love, because he is conscious of his parrot-beak like nose. The princess falls in love with the handsome soldier Indrajit. Unaware of Shukdan's feelings, Mankunwar asks for his help to meet Indrajit, who in turn makes Shukdan write romantic letters on his behalf. Adapted by Chinu Modi from Edmond Rostand's classic CYRANO DE BERGERAC, the period musical SHUKDAN by Ahmedabad's Fanatika Productions was a fitting finale for the three-day fest. Director Chintan Pandya who has watched the play in English and French chose to set it at the turn of 20th century Gujarat, with colourful costumes, using the bhavai style of rendition with musicians playing and singing live by the side of the stage. The actors on stage also sang, particularly the young actor who played Shukdan. The director shared that the actor had stepped into the role barely a week before the show, yet he gave the Utsav's tour-de-force performance.

Avjo, avata varshe.

Piroj Wadia is a film critic, journalist and copy consultant of long standing. She has been reviewing Hindi films for the Free Press Journal and international films for Screen. She has written extensively on television and films for Screen, Indian Express & Deccan Chronicle. Other papers she writes for are Midday, Afternoon Despatch & Courier, Jame-Jamshed Weekly. She has served on the jury for the ITA awards; and IDPA awards.


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