The Hindi translation of Mahesh Elkunchwar's Marathi classic, AATMAKATHA was shown recently as part of the Prithvi theatre festival 2013. Both the shows of this play at the festival were house full. AATMAKATHA has been produced by the Kolkata-based group Padatik, and though it has been shown earlier in Kolkata, New Delhi and Jaipur, this was their premier show in Mumbai. The play is directed by Vinay Sharma, and stars the veteran actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda, who returns to the stage after a long hiatus. Perhaps that is why viewers turned up in hoards to see him.
Kharbanda essays the role of an ageing well-known writer, Rajadhyaksha. He packs in a powerful performance that is nuanced and elegant. The play unfolds in layers, going backwards and forward in time, as different versions of the truth emerge, revealing characters who are trapped in their own ''cycle of torment''. The play revolves around the protagonist Rajadhyaksha, and his celebrated autobiographical novel. The novel deals with his separation from his wife Uttara (Chetna Jalan), who is portrayed in the novel as Urmilla, and of his affair with her sister Vasanti (Sanchayita Bhattacharjee), the Vasuda in his novel. The parallel lives of the real life characters and of those in Rajadhyaksha's novel, form the crux of this play. Pradnya (Anubha Fatehpuria), a researcher, who is writing a thesis on Rajadhyaksha's writings, is the catalyst that propels the play forward.
As the play unfolds, we see that Pradnya, seems to have developed an easy rapport with the acclaimed writer, and the familiarity with which they relate to each other is of comfort to the audience, as they are soon going to witness a major explosion! The tension between Rajadhyaksha and his wife Uttara, and the secret liaison between Rajadhyaksha and his sister-in-law Vasanti are built up to reveal the underlying truth that is sprung towards the end in a very dramatic fashion. There is tension and tautness throughout the play, and because of the very grim rendition of their roles by both Chetna Jalan and Sanchayita Bhattarcharjee, the play tends to get a bit heavy at times and often it seems repetitive and as though it is going nowhere. However, these two actresses ably display their versatility as they unveil events that reveal the many facets of the ''truth'.
Ultimately, the play belongs to the power house performance that Mr Kharbanda gives. He oscillates between being vulnerable, powerful, funny and profound. I loved his interaction with the young researcher Pradnya; a part that was very well enacted by Anubha Fatehpuria. Her chemistry with Mr. Kharbanda was quite charming.
Mr Vinay Sharma is a thinking man's director. The simple set and dull costumes worn by the women characters are very effective in showing the barrenness in the lives of the main protagonists of the play. The projection of the X-ray like images as the backdrop is very dramatic and adds to the otherwise starkness of the set. However, I found the constant moving of benches and screen, very jarring. Kudos to Mr Kulbhushan Kharbanda for having made such a great entry back to the stage.
*Manju Sampat has a Ph.D in English Literature and has been a freelance writer for many years, writing theatre and book reviews for websites and journals. Her articles have also been featured in a few magazines.
