Subhedar Guest House is a gripping mystery drama, the Marathi adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, written by Shirish Dekhane, directed by Vijay Kenkre, and produced by The Goa Hindu Association and Sukalp Chitra.
The plot involves a group of strangers gathered at a guest house in Panhala, recently opened and managed by a couple. Around the same time, a murder in Kolhapur is reported. Eventually, everyone in the guest house is cut off from the outside world due to heavy rain and becomes trapped inside. They soon realize that the murderer is among them. The hosts, along with the guests, all carry secrets and hidden pasts. Meanwhile, an inspector arrives to investigate the case, and the play unfolds through rising suspicion and unexpected revelations until the identity of the murderer is finally revealed, leaving the audience shocked.
Each actor plays their part distinctly and with conviction, doing full justice to what is given to them. Every character feels purposeful and individually grounded within the narrative. The ensemble supports the story without any one performance overshadowing the others.
Chitra, portrayed by Mrunmayee Gondhalekar, is a warm and welcoming hostess who runs the Subhedar Guest House with dedication and care, alongside Vinay, performed by Saurabh Gokhale, a supportive and caring husband who helps her manage the venture. However, the suspicion of a murderer among them shakes their sense of security.
Amongst all the guests, the first to arrive is Amit, enacted by Angad Mhaskar, a strange young man whose unpredictable behaviour keeps everyone guessing. The second visitor, Mrs. Tikekar, portrayed by Vinita Date, is a complaining middle-aged woman who is constantly dissatisfied with the food and services at the Guest House. Then there is Major Thorat, performed by Rohit Deshmukh, who comes from an army background and carries a strong, commanding presence.
Sapna, enacted by Sana Kulkarni, comes from Indore and speaks a mix of Hindi and Marathi in a catchy accent. She is closely connected to the story’s hidden past. Mr. Banerjee, portrayed by Anand Patil, is a mysterious Bengali man from Kolkata who speaks Marathi in a Bengali accent, which sets him apart from the ensemble. He stumbles upon the guest house after his car breaks down during the storm, adding to the growing suspicion. Lastly, Inspector Bhosale, performed by Shantanu Moghe, reveals that the murderer is hidden within the Guest House. His character spares no one during his interrogation and remains determined in his efforts to catch the real culprit.
The set design is large-scale and commercial, and effectively reflects reality. The setup carries a strong vintage feel. The costumes are authentic and suit the characters well. There is a constant flow of water on stage behind the window, depicting heavy rainfall. The background score maintains a suspenseful and mysterious tone.
The direction is so seamless that it never feels imposed, which stands out as a defining quality of Vijay Kenkre's style. Despite being an adaptation, the play does not feel diluted or misplaced in translation. While the writer deserves credit for the adaptation, Kenkre ensures it lands with clarity and cultural rootedness. His deep understanding of the Marathi theatre audience, built over decades, reflects strongly in the treatment. After recent successes like Perfect Murder, 38 Krushna Villa, and Shhh… Ghabraycha Nahi, Subhedar Guest House continues his streak of strong productions.
The play keeps the audience hooked till the very end, engaging them in solving the puzzle while offering a blend of suspense and entertainment, and exploring the complexity of human psychology and relationships.
Shashank Jadhav is a theatre practitioner, actor, writer, and director. He is the founder of Occipital Productions, under which he develops work across theatre and films.
