WELCOME ZINDAGI is a Gujarati play which has been performed more than 800 times. The Hindi edition of the play was relaunched with due fanfare.
The play has many things going for it and will be able to elicit the admiration of those who end up watching it. It gets many simple things right. There is an authentic portrayal of a family life. An ideal wife who dominates the husband a little while ensuring that the family is well looked after. A husband, who is the breadwinner, is about to retire at a time when the son is not well-settled. Typical of today’s times, the son has completed an MBA but is not sure if he wants to do a corporate job and wants to start a business with his friend. The play brings out the problems arising out of unconfessed affection that the three family members have for each other. A series of confessions about what each of them have done for the family is depicted with emotional power. The play brings out the fact that communication can matter in any relation and yet it looks impossible to have one; and even if we have one, the peace is really temporary.
The play also brings out the problems of being an entrepreneur. The family quarrels, arising out of a decision to invest a substantial amount of money into a new business venture, brings out the risks associated with doing business for a middle-class household.
A monologue by Saumya Joshi, who plays the father and husband, towards the end gives the play an impactful ending. His monologue and overall character brings a rare dignity to the life of the humble clerk. This is commendable because in screenplays we only see the rich, famous or top executives as worthy of respect. This play shows how much a person who is an ordinary clerk in the office is a hero in real life. WELCOME ZINDAGI brings out the dignity of labour. Abhinay Banker, who plays the son, and Jigna Vyas, who plays the wife, also get challenging roles to do. They have to portray a wide range of emotions and deliver a range of varied dialogues. In such a scenario, there is always scope for improvement but even then they move the audience. Jigna Vyas is also the narrator of the story.
The sets are designed with sophistication and come quite close to looking like that of a television show. The background music is used aptly throughout the play.
The play is produced by noted film director Umesh Shukla. WELCOME ZINDAGI is an optimistic portrayal of family life and can attract a family audience and still foster an environment that can enable delicate but much needed conversations. The play wastes a little time in the beginning to come to the main hook, but after that it becomes absorbing. While the play is based on a Gujarati family, it is suitable for all audiences that can understand Hindi. The humour is not culturally specific to Gujarat and can be appreciated by anyone who has lived in India.
(Tarun Agarwal is the author of a book, Hope Factory. He is the director of a short film, Honesty Weds Dishonesty. He sees reviews as an art as much as an assessment of art.)
