Thespo, the youth theatre festival, which is now in its 17th year, is special, because it gives young talented artistes an opportunity to prove their mettle. The productions participating in this festival are characterised by their experimental approach, by their daring-to-go attitude and infectious energy. LASSANWALA, with its 10 member ensemble, was one of the entrants in the main programme of the festival this year. It is a simple yet compelling original script, with honest and convincing performances by its actors. The live music and the singing add value to the production.
LASSANWALA is the story of 60-year old Kallu, a staunch Brahamin garlic grower and seller living in the North Indian hinterland. His part is enacted by Himanshu Talreja. The play traces this man's journey from being an avid advocate of the caste system to eventually coming to the realisation that caste is baseless, while individuals, irrespective of their caste, are more important. This production by Mumbai-based group, Little Creative Minds Pvt. Ltd, has been directed by Hemant Pandey and written by Vidit Tripathi. The play's theme on caste finds resonance in India even today.
Split into 10 scenes, the play opens with an energetic bunch of talented musicians with myriad percussion instruments, sitting around an older man, gleefully singing the fifteenth-century Indian saint and poet Kabir's dohas. Kallu, the only Brahmin amongst the otherwise lower caste folk of his village, leads the pack of singers in this entertaining two-minute piece. His societal superiority subtly comes across, with Kallu made to sit on his charpai, while the others sit at his feet, on the floor. The party of excited singers comes to a premature halt, when Kallu's daughter-in-law, Rani storms across the stage.
Kallu's family comprises his unemployed, irresponsible, 'village idiot' of a son, Dhaua, played by Ved Prakash. Rani, played by Namaya Saxena, is his feisty and dominating daughter-in-law. Continuing the high tenor lent by the singing, Rani makes a mark from the minute she walks onto stage, as she hurles complaints at Kallu, blaming him for the sorry state of financial affairs prevalent in the household. Semi-mocking and semi-taunting, Rani admonishes Kallu for choosing to sell garlic over all the other much more valuable crops such as cotton, tomatoes, brinjals, and basically, any edible, apart from the humble garlic. However, with his love for lassan flowing thick through his veins, Kallu, the lassanwala refuses to live life any other way.
Dhaua, his son is starry-eyed and wishes for a high flying, metropolitan way of life, defined by easy money, and flashy phones. Despite living in a household that has struggled to sustain itself on Kallu's meagre earnings, Dhaua continues to spend his days in the company of his childhood friend, Vicky, essayed by Hemant Pandey, (also the director of the play). Together they indulge in alcohol, bidi, drugs and mindless chatter, and about ways to get rich, much to Dhaua's father's disgust. Goaded on by scheming Vicky, Dhaua decides to fool his humble father, even as another Brahmin known to Kallu is indulging in trickery against him for the crop of lasoon kept in trust in the man's godown.
Eventually as things come to light to Kallu, he realises how he has been duped by his own son and the fellow Brahmin whom he trusted. He also realises how his helper - a young man from the lower caste, has been honest, and has helped him at the expense of his own safety. In this, the honest inspector and his constable are instrumental in ensuring that justice is done - a surprising and a well-considered change from the cliched portrayal of corrupt officers.
The actors and the musicians hold the story together. If the group's show at Prithvi was anything to go by, one can safely assume that team LASSANWALA will have good shows as and when they do.
Rhea Mukerjee is a public relations professional who loves Hemingway, Gone with the Wind, The Beatles, theatre, coffee, Paris, and wine. She was bitten by the theatre bug about a decade ago, and has been writing about it, ever since.
