Produced by Bhadrakali Productions, and written and directed by Viren, this play is a social drama with two women having identical names and is reminiscent of an Ekta Kapoor soap without the eye-aching costumes. The name of the play, AMHI SAU KUMUD PRABHAKAR APTE (We, Mrs. Kumud Prabhakar Apte), is eye-catching. No prizes for guessing, however, that the two Kumuds are two of the three sides of the classic love triangle-the wife and the ex-lover.
The existence of another Mrs Apte is shockingly revealed to the wife, when she chances upon some letters after the sudden death of her husband of twenty-three years. Daunted by the prospect of facing this lover, her quest for answers brings her to the threshold of ''the other Mrs. Apte's'' home.
Hindu wedding rituals permit the renaming of the bride. The wife is hurt that her husband's yearning for his lost love has been responsible for her being given the name ''Kumud''. Moreover, the last name ''Apte'' and the middle name ''Prabhakar'', were something that the wife should have had sole rights over. But her husband's lover has bestowed herself with them. Thus, a part of each of these women's names rightfully belongs to the other.
Two women with nothing in common, but the man they shared, confront each other. Their war of words is a seesaw of jealousy, with the fulcrum being the man they loved. This is not a new subject. But writer Viren has attempted a new angle, by keeping certain aspects of the relationship between Prabhakar and his lover, Kumud slightly mysterious. For starters, the lover Kumud seems to have no rancour towards the wife, Lalan (her maiden name). Indeed, once Kumud overcomes the news of her lover's death, she is almost cheerful and hospitable. She calmly parries the peculiar mix of anger, hate, envy and grief that the wife Lalan is predictably harbouring. She even endures Lalan's slap on her cheek, within minutes of their meeting.
Over the course of the next hour, Kumud and Lalan stiltedly strike up a conversation. Predictably, they reminisce about the man who was the pivot of their lives. Kumud's memories of Prabhakar are fresh, despite the 23 years that have elapsed since he walked away from her. Lalan, on the other hand, realises that Prabhakar had not shared some aspects of his personality with her at all.
The elephant in the room is, however, the question of Prabhakar's fidelity towards Lalan during his married life. Kumud is rather coy about this at the start and denies this. Later, however, stung by Lalan's verbal barbs, she declares that Prabhakar had been in a relationship with her for years. And, that they had a daughter called Rani. A shattered Lalan leaves, but returns to Kumud's home later, to find closure. Now, Kumud, after an obvious change of heart, does a volte-face. She declares that all that she had said about Prabhakar's extra-marital association was a complete lie.
So, what is the truth of Prabhakar and Kumud's relationship? Did they meet or continue their affair after he was married? Did they have a child called Rani? The first instinct of the lover is to hurt the competition. So why is Kumud refraining from doing so? Is she hiding something?
The answers are revealed in the second half.
The subject of the play has been dealt with earlier in many forms. In fact, watching this verbal tug-of-war on stage gave me a feeling of slight boredom. Certain scenes are repetitive, especially, when Lalan declares that she is walking out of Kumud's home and ascends the stairs leading to the door and then, backs down more than once. The play should been at least fifteen to twenty minutes shorter, given the less than unusual content.
The play is worth watching for the actors alone. Pratiksha Lonkar playing Kumud and Aishwarya Narkar as Lalan are two experienced female actors of Marathi theatre, cinema and television. The confident career woman with her palpable joy in dancing and painting, love for music and freedom is essayed well by Pratiksha Lonkar. With her hesitant body language, tightly wound up grief and flashes of righteous anger, Aishwarya Narkar is the perfect Lalan.
The recited poems written by Saumitra are insightful and appropriate for the moment.
A play for those who like a social drama combined with excellent performances.
*Ujwala Karmakar is an Anaesthesiologist by profession. She likes to watch plays, read, and listen to music among other things. Ujwala has also been writing on women's issues, parenting, travel, etc.
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