Urban Legend

Love,friendship,truth,fidelity,pain,joy¿universal emotions that don’t have any boundaries or contexts. We experience them at some point or the other. Exactly why it was not tough for renowned theatre director Feroz Khan to stage American playwright Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer winning play Dinner With Friends. Staged today at

Indradhanush Auditorium,and presented by Ballantines’ for the star cast of the play — Perizaad Zorabian Irani,Tisca Chopra,Vinay Jain and Joy Sengupta,playing their parts and working with Feroz has been a totally gratifying experience. Talking intimately about the effects of the break-up of one couple on the other,who first feel compelled to choose sides,and then begin to question the strength of their own bond. The story is of four friends,two marriages and one divorce. It’s the story of us,what’s happening to relationships all around,their anxiety,complexity,highs and lows. Depicted with feelings and emotions that flow effortlessly,there’s no sense of drama or any kind of value judgement that you view,as you see the characters not acting,but emoting. “When I read the play some time back,I didn’t think I could do it in India. But then,urban India has changed so much,and so have relationships,be it man-woman or friendship and I decided to take it up,for it’s such a universal theme,the truth is not absolute,but relative,” smiles Feroz,the director of acclaimed plays like Mahtma Gandhi,Tumhari Amrita,Salesman Ramlal.

A friendship of four friends,how divorce leads to the breakdown of it,each taking his position of the divorce,the play doesn’t strive to give any answers,but raises many question,about which you are compelled to think. Except for a few minor changes,the play hasn’t been dramatically adapted for Feroz,who felt felt the story is and for the globalized world. Nods Perizaad,who is on stage after a long gap. For the actor,this play meant unlearning many acting theories,“it was getting back to basics with real emotions and conversations,without any false notes.And it was Feroz,who wanted no acting on stage and it was a challenge.”

Tisca,who plays the role of an unsuccessful painter in the play says she totally related to her character,for she was an unsuccessful actor for the longest time,“nothing is exaggerated ,it’s minimal,real and happening all around you.”

The real-life situations,life’s funny moments,dialogues — strike a chord with the audience,and as Joy Sengupta and Vinay Jain put it aptly,“it was like baring yourself,facing the dilemmas and fears,and feeling every emotion.”