Written and Directed : Atul Satya Koushik Cast : Aryan Mehta, Meenakshi Dixit, Raunak Khan, Dalip Tahil and others
RANGREZZ Review
A straight production of Shakespeare's Othello, might not have appealed to a young audience today, but set in a modern-day college, turning the Moor warrior into a rebellious poet and distilling it to its bare essence, the theme of jealousy and the tragedy that unfolds, works in a north Indian setting, where Atul Satya Koushik's RANGREZZ places his characters in a patriarchal milieu. Love, anger, envy, suspicion are emotions that are not confined to any period or culture, so the Bard's work can be adapted and updated, which Koushik has done quite well.
Atharva Kumar (Aryan Mehta), is an outsider to the college but his popularity as a poet and his sharp oratory have led him to become the president of the students' council. There is a scandal when he marries his professor, Devika (Meenakshi Dixit), a Harvard graduate and four years older than him. Her father is outraged, but since they are both consenting adults, the college cannot take any action. Stung by what he sees as an attack on his prestige, he poisons the mind of the young man by telling him that his pampered daughter gets bored of everything very soon, and would also tire of him.
The students are preparing for the youth festival RANGREZZ, and Atharva is in charge. When he overlooks his friend Yogi (Raunak Khan) for the post of the college general secretary, and makes him production manager of the festival, he is furious. He had hoped to use the GS position to launch himself into politics. Instigated by a buddy who is hurt over losing Devika to Atharva, Yogi, already smarting with humiliation, decides on a twisted revenge.
Like Desdemona's handkerchief, a scarf Atharva had painted for Devika is used to fuel insecurity and jealousy in him. He still has the warning by Devika's father buzzing in his mind, when a series of innocent coincidences are blown out of proportion by Yogi, who convinces Atharva of his wife's infidelity.
A mature man like Othello had been swayed by Iago's insinuations, Atharva, for all his creative maturity, is young and naïve.
Koushik gets convincing performances from most of the actors, because the way he has simplified the original, it is within their grasp. Those who are a bit raw in the early shows, will grow into their roles. The lead pair of Aryan Mehta and Meenakshi Dixit are suitably confident, without a background in theatre, and have a comfortable chemistry. Aryan Mehta belongs to a film family (his grandfather Pranlal Mehta and father Jay Mehta belong to the industry), but he chose to make his acting debut on stage and in a difficuit role.
Koushik's productions are usually lavish, and in RANGREZZ, he uses projected backdrops, which look glossy, but distract from the play that is high on emotions. Many proscenium stage productions these days overuse colourful LED lights and video content, which sometimes dilutes the medium of theatre that depends on the imagination of the audience as much as technology and external factors. It is also equally true that a section of the audience, is attracted by spectacle. Whatever brings them into the theatre!
(Deepa Gahlot is a journalist, columnist, author and curator. Some of her writings are on deepagahlot.com)
