CHINDHI CHOR Play Review

Tarun Agarwal	Host-A-Performance \| Schedule

Direction : Dharmaj Joshi Cast : Swapnil Ajgaonkar, Ranjana Aanjjan, Abhijeit Chitre, Jenifer Emmanuel, Parri Galaa, Harshit Rajora & Omkar Ghalasi

CHINDHI CHOR Review

CHINDHI CHOR could very well bask in the season of cockroaches. The play narrates the story of Vikas Margo who conducts small thefts to make a living. In these times, staging a play in which a gentle human being works as a burglar can open a lot of conversations after the performance.

This entertaining play is an adaptation of The Virtuous Burglar by Dario Fo and fulfills a very important gap in the theatre scene today - a play that can attract a young audience that wants something that is even more engaging than an instagram reel. The writing is so well done and equally well-performed by the actors that it feels like an effortless job and not a debut production of a fresh banner. The play is a tribute to the original farce that continues to be staged globally. It shows how socio-economic strata, character and circumstances do not fit easily into any neat equation.

The play is about six people who, as bad luck would have it, find themselves with their spouses as well as their lovers. Swapnil Ajgaonkar plays a young, talkative, lively burglar. Abhijeit Chitre plays a guy who is desperate to find time with his lover. Ranjana Aanjjan plays a nagging, comically dominating wife. Jenifer plays a glam girl for whom a married man could stray. These four characters survive many tense moments throughout. Other characters also leave a mark.

The purists may be baffled by the fast pace of a classic farce but that is what the contemporary requirement is in an era of reduced attention spans. The director has done a good job of the cast and they perform their challenging roles effortlessly. Challenging, because there are fewer pauses and little room for mistakes in this one.

The sets are designed with care and quirk, and the costumes are distinctively crafted for each of the roles. The play is about an hour long, which may make it a little short to be staged in large venues as a solo production. The play is well-written but it can also try to include one or two epic moments that could serve as a special highlight. The play has been performed in unconventional venues and been well-received. This is a gentle breakthrough for theatre.

Tarun Agarwal is the author of a book, Hope Factory.

CHINDHI CHOR Play Schedule(s)

7:00 PM, Fri, June 26

The Box , Pune (map link)

8:15 PM, Fri, June 26

The Box , Pune (map link)

Please click here for the preview of the play

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