Giving up Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Pakistani actress (!?) Meera Khan and then upping the stakes with model Poonam Pandey on a bet over a game of chess seems rather skewed. But in the minds of two lonely jawans -- one from India and the other from Pakistan -- the equation seems to work just fine. In the past, we're told that the Pakistani soldier, Hamid Gul, has lost a couple of cities from his country over several such games. Kashmir, however, continues to remain a territory both soldiers won't give up on easily. Thus, the two lone soldiers build a surreptitious friendship to bid time while their respective countries struggle to maintain ceasefire.
The simple, yet touching, story portrayed in NAALI KE KUTTE, written and directed by Aniket Behera and Siddharth Kataria, who also play the lead roles, is relatable, simply because the familiarity of the on again-off again Indo-Pak relations. In addition to that, the script subtly brings in the fact that the situation of the masses is pretty much the same on either sides of the border. This explains why the two soldiers find so many topics to discuss through the long hours of patrolling. Plus, Hamid's lanky, teenaged looks prompt his Indian counterpart to come up with numerous (college-hostel-style) jokes at his expense.
Throughout the play, the three Indo-Pak wars fought in 1965, 1971 and 1998 are remembered over and over again. Despite their habituated affection for each other the two soldiers are acutely aware that they belong to enemy camps. They even have code words indicating an all clear or precarious situation. 'Naali Ke Kutte' happens to be one such warning signal. Through their conversation the audience is indicated that there might be another escalation. Eventually, the ceasefire is called off. Watch the play to find out what happens to the two friends.
On the script front, there is hardly a noticeable fault. Aniket and Siddharth share a lovely chemistry, which comes through most in the scenes where one describes his first crush and the other recalls the time he spent chasing hens (which apparently landed him the job as a soldier). The play falters though because the two seem to be mumbling their dialogues in some scenes. There are times one can't hear their voice even in a small auditorium like Prithvi Theatre. Moreover, the fact that a number of dialogues are delivered while the actors have their back turned to the audience does not help either. A quick voice modulation session for both the lead actors as well as for Gaganjeet Singh (who plays an Indian Major) will certainly help.
All in all, NAALI KE KUTTE, is certainly worth an evening out with friends.
*Charulata enjoys watching theatre, and writing about it.
