Apart from a few exceptions, children's theatre in India has by and large oscillated between two extremes. It is either moralistic or it is juvenile. These are the broad categories within which the smaller, inconsequential dramas are usually played out. Children are either very good or they are obnoxiously naughty. They are the do-gooders or they are spoilt brats, when really, there is so much more to explore.
Siddharth Kumar's new play IN THE CAT HOUSE turns out to be just as bad, barring the effort made by Le Chaiym Theatre that has produced the play and which has made it as entertaining as it can possibly be. What may have been promising, turns out to be almost sickly in its indulgence of the child-hero, Vikash (not Vikas; the 'sh' has a most deliberate emphasis put on it by the actors). Vikash, played by Abhishek Saha, simply comes across as a badly behaved boy, whose idea of fun is to unzip his pants to reveal his underwear, and who finds a partner for his mean schemes in a 'magical' cat (Prerna Chawla). Here again, the familiar cliche of cats being mean, unfriendly creatures serves the purpose. What might have been a tale of magic, wonder and delight, turns out to be a 'McDonalized' version of a kiddie party. Perhaps the production under Sananda Mukhopadhyaya's direction is only trying to salvage the play by resorting to foot-tapping entertainment, no doubt, greatly enjoyed by the children.
But the resounding claps, and the constant giggles, which are a hallmark of almost all our plays today, unless the subject is veering towards the serious, are not the most ideal of barometers of quality. While they may indicate success and popularity, they don't really say much about the play eventually. But such are the signs of our time. What was also disturbing about the play was that it celebrates meanness. That children can be mean and cruel is true but there is no psychological reasoning or any depth here. The play very superficially presents us a typecast of a mischievous child whose father (Kashin Shetty) comes across as a buffoon, and who is even made to jiggle in a lady's dress by his little boy and his scheming partner, the 'evil' cat. The mother stays inexplicably and notably absent.
Clearly, the role offers Shetty a chance to once again display his deadpan, brand of humour, only it's not humorous at all here, but all rather very silly. Similarly we have the teacher played by Shruti Sridharan reduced to a stereotype. Divyesh Vijaykar and Himanshu Sitlani appear in non-existent roles as Vikash's school mates, when here are all actors who are capable of delivering better and more. Vikash becomes friends with Aliva (Shweta Tripathi) and she predictably turns out to be his voice of conscience, with Vikash's father alluding to her as his son's girlfriend. Again this boy-girl relationship aspect, plus the bit with the father-son drink (even as the drink turns out to be non-alcoholic), seems out of place and incongruous for a boy who is presumably under 10 years old. It's like the 'cool' factor being over-played, or perhaps it is again telling of the times we are living in. Either way, it's not healthy.
Sananda Mukhopadhyaya's direction is compact as the play rolls out in little scenes, orchestrated to popular music. Vikash's first introductions to his imaginary/magical cat are funny, as he attempts to be friends with it, but they are like drawn out preludes to a script that hangs by a thread. Our plays for children need to mature. We need to recognize that children's plays can be meaningful and fun without resorting to the gimmicky and the obvious ways that we think get children involved. Our children need more intelligence and dignity than we give them.
