Point noted

Having started off in 2003,with an aim to encourage young audience to watch theatre,Five Point Someone will mark Evam’s debut in Mumbai. The group has so far performed over 18 plays and 300 shows across Bangalore,Hyderabad and Chennai. Vishnu K admits that Mumbai has been on their itinerary for a long time. “But some things just take more time to materialise,” he adds.

Since it’s a play for the young audiences,the director has laid more emphasis on lighting design and music. The director rues that nobody keeps theatre humourous or youth-centric anymore. He believes that Bhagat’s novel will help bridge that gap and connects with the young audiences. “I approached Chetan in 2009 for his approval. He was very gracious,but his only diktat was to stay true to the soul of the book,” says Vishnu K. True to his words,the play is still a story that underlines the arduous journey of three IIT students — Alok,Hari and Ryan — who,through their course,learn the harsh truths about the IIT system. “Apart from the story,we also instantly connected with Chetan’s writing,” he says.

The director understandably found it rather strenuous and challenging to adapt a book into a play. “I wanted to tell the story as it is,but to say it in two hours was tough. Hence,we decided to pick some key moments from the book and included them in the narrative.” It took four months to write the screenplay,and ever since their premiere last year,the group has had more than 40 shows across Bangalore,Chennai,Hyderabad and Delhi.

When a book as popular as Five Point Someone is adapted,comparisons are inevitable. Add to that the success of 3 Idiots. Is this added pressure? “Not at all,” says Vishnu K. “For those who have read the book,they know just what to expect,so we need not worry. And for those who haven’t read the book yet,it will be a journey worth exploring,” says the director.

For ardent fans,Vishnu K also has a cameo by the author Chetan Bhagat in the play. “Often,the authors of books that are adapted into plays are either dead or not in India. We are fortunate to have Chetan among us,” says the director,who is keen on adapting the author’s latest 2 States as the group’s next production.