"Motleyana" At Prithvi Theatre... Motley Theatre Group Led By Naseeruddin Shah Completes 40 Years...
July 17, 2019 4:06:42 PM IST MTG editorial
It is a momentous time for Motley and its team as the 40th anniversary celebrations are underway. Motley's journey began in Lucknow as Benjamin Gilani and Naseeruddin Shah contemplated producing plays together. That was the beginning and Samuel Beckett's WAITING FOR GODOT, the group's flagship production, was staged at Prithvi Theatre in 1979. Beckett became synonymous with Motley in India. Tom Alter, Kenny Desai, Akash Khurana got closely involved.
Today, the group led by Naseeruddin Shah at it helm, and supported by the Shah family - wife Ratna, daughter Heeba, sons Imaad and Vivaan, has various actors in tow, each of them moulded in the spirit of the group, which has always been about the word and the script first.
Motley's productions over the years - a mix of English and Hindustani - have developed as a homage to fine writers. The group has been equally home with George BernardShaw as it has been with Sadat Hasan Manto. This ability to distill words on stage has been Motley's hallmark, while Shah and company's popularity and performances have ensured a committed audience.
