Review

I'm Not Bajirao
Direction : 
Starring : 
Rahul Da Cunha
Boman Irani, Sudhir Joshi, Dilnaz Irani, Kunal Vijaynkar

Purva Desai


I’m not Bajirao…
The name rings a bell somewhere. It has been running successfully for years. We wake up a little late to realize that. But it gets better and better. What does one expect from the play? Nothing. Expectations lead to disappointment. That is why the play becomes everything one never expected it to be. I’m not Bajirao is an interesting mélange of humour and nostalgia. And for once there are no complains. Adaptations are equally good, if not better. Adapted from Herb Gardener’s I’m not Rappaport, I’m not Bajirao tickles the senses and brings forth the laughter that has been suppressed for long. And full credit must be given to director Rahul Da Cunha for adapting a play to Indian sensibilities and taste. It must have not been easy to do so. The accents are perfect. Although it revolves around two old men, One Parsi and the other Maharashtrian, the play does not call for any stereotypical characters. For two and a half hours, everyone is mesmerized. Tears trickle down as one laughs hard at the conversations of two 75 year old men who battle life with full readiness. A closer look at the play and one realizes that the director has very tastefully brought to surface issues that are blatantly ignored and this is done with subtlety.

Dhunjisha Batliwalla
loses his job as head of the building committee. He is replaced by America returned Sam Master who pities Mr. Batliwalla. He loses his home and his pension. Madhukar eventually visits his daughter on the weekends (he was initially opposed to the idea). Batliwalla initially maintains a distance from his Maharashtrian friend. But Madhukar (a born prankster) is the only one who helps Batliwalla and vice-versa. And a little sadly we realize that old people are forgotten so easily. Two friends sitting on a park bench look at life as it has passed them by. They encounter Junkies and Goondas. Yet they never seem afraid. With ailing health and broken bones, they fight fiercely to save each other’s lives. Boman Irani as Dhunjisha Batliwala is unbelievable. His body movements are so well co-coordinated with his actions that one marvels at his performance. Sudhir Joshi as Madhukar Kulkarni is hilarious. Not once does Boman Irani overshadow him. He and Boman Irani compliment each other on stage. Their characters are juxtaposed and they bring out the peculiarity of their existence on stage.

Dilnaz Irani playing the role of a junkie portrays the youth of today (to an extent). She is just noticed in the play. Even the actor posing as Madhukar’s daughter is very ok in the play. Kunal Vijaynkar is very good. His body language is worth a watch. Some lines from the play come to attention instantly. In one instance, Kulkarni tells Batliwalla “I died for six minutes. Death is monotonous. People complain that life is too short. Life is not too short. It is too long”. And there is a pause. But before we lapse into silence, Da Cunha’s well-written script brings us back to where we started. The setting is very dull. The rustled leaves and broken walls give a touch of nostalgia. The bare tree has a story of it's own. The old benches with chipped wood give the feel of a faded yet interesting life. The music is so apt. It heightens the emotions and sentiments that are being conveyed. After saying so much, it is best if one stops and says no more. The less you speak, the more you see. But one word of advice: Go watch the play. And don’t stop at one show. Go watch it a second time.



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