Anish Trivedi’s debut play STILL SINGLE while being reflective of relationships in an urban, globalized India loses out unfortunately to the naivety of its plot. Superficial and altogether simplistic, the result is an endless repartee (it sparkles in bits and parts though) between Sunita and Karan, the two mature protagonists of the play.

The “Mills and Boons” analogy fits the description of the play too. Suave Karan (Anish Trivedi), the man who reads Neruda, enjoys jazz and knows what it is like to savour a fine single malt as against the sexy Sunita (Dipika Roy) who prefers the boy bands, likes beer and can’t be too bothered about the history of wine resemble the prototypical ‘opposities distract and then attract’ type. Naturally, the parts of Nazneen (Pervien Irani), Jeh (Sharookh Irani) and Jamshed (Sahil Jaffrey) are subordinated to the altogether obvious intrigues of the “hero” and the “heroine”.

Further, the one-dimensionality of the characters and the finiteness of the plot make the often-quoted lines from one of Neruda’s most romantic poems appear trite. The good news is that despite the apparent banality of it all, there is a whiff of honesty emanating from the characters portrayed. Thankfully they are grounded in their socio-economic spectrum and this makes them immediately identifiable. Given Trivedi’s professional background as a media person, writer and an erstwhile investment banker, it is obvious that he has an insider’s advantage to the characters he has chosen to portray. The problem is that he has not exploited it enough.

For instance had Sunita’s narcissim and self-assuredness been explored or had Jeh’s feelings for her been given more space to breathe, a more complex canvas could have been developed. It would perhaps then have been interesting to see how the cocooned lives of these characters aquire new dimensions. In their present state they are too preoccupied delighting audiences with their overtly familiar wisecracks, which at times are in danger of not being clearly heard. Too bad since they are evidently the play’s passport to success.

The set for the play has been tastefully designed; its background screen suitably used to serve a number of functions integral to the play. Owing to the effective light design, it merges well with the overall décor when not in use. Since the play also benefits from an esteemed list of sponsors catering to the well-heeled society of Mumbai, extra-sensory details like the actors’ costumes have also been taken care of. Everything is very pretty here; one could well have stepped into the drawing room of a plush house in South Bombay.

The cast of actors that includes Trivedi is obviously very comfortable in this ambience. They are very comfortable with each other too and this works well for the play. Dipika Rao’s Sunita knows what it is to be cool and confident (almost smug) about her sexuality and of her high-powered professional status as an Investment banker. Anish Trivedi’s Karan however could do much better. In his role as a forty something corporate lawyer, Trivedi cuts a fine figure but can add more tempo and life to his character. Nazneen and Jamshed Irani are appropriate in their parts as Sunita’s closet friends as is Sahil Jaffrey who plays their nephew, Jamshed. The play has its charms but at its best, it remains a predictable drawing-room romantic comedy with an untapped potential.