Journalism of Courage
Rajat Kapoors Nothing Like Lear revolves around a hopeless clown struggling with love,senility and betrayal
When William Shakespeare wrote King Lear,tragedy was evident in the play. A great king descends into madness after foolishly disposing off his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery. He loses the kingdom,sinks into senility and dies with a broken heart. But what does this hapless king have in common with a beat-up clown?
Director Rajat Kapoor sees plenty of similarities. In his latest play Nothing Like Lear,to be staged in Pune for the first time,Kapoor tells the story of an old,middle-class Maharashtrian father who laments over his tragic life and gradually turns insane. He hasnt stopped crying for days,as the people he loved the most have left him. He is then forced to act in a play about a king and his three daughters,written by a bearded Englishman.
Kapoor,who has earlier written and directed C For Clowns (1999) and Hamlet the Clown Prince (2008),says that he has an unspoken bond with clowns. They are the perfect vehicle to carry emotions. A sad clown is not just sad but despairing and morose,while a happy clown is jubilant and ecstatic. They exaggerate and emote in a way that is very powerful, he says.
In Nothing Like Lear,an 80-minute monologue,noted actor Vinay Pathak plays the clown. The play was first performed in February last year with Pathak and Atul Kumar playing the clown alternatively since.
Kapoor says that even though the character of the old clown is inspired by the Shakespearean king,he has given a modern outlook to the story by tweaking it for contemporary times. The figure of the clown is tinged with vulnerability evoking smiles and tears but nowhere in the play does the character relate himself to Lear. But Kapoor maintains that if the audience is acquainted with the original text,they will enjoy the play more. The play is based more on the themes of the original play than its plot. It explores the relationship between parent and child and growing old,among other things, says Kapoor.
Ask the director about how he cast Pathak and Kumar in leading roles and Kapoor says easily: Our association goes way back. Both of them are fine actors and I did not have the least doubt about casting them in this play. While hes satisfied with clowning around with theatre for now,he has recently finished shooting his next film,Aankhon Dekhi ,in which Sanjay Mishra plays the lead role.
Nothing Like Lear,presented by The Company Theatre and Cinematograph Production,will be staged on April 18 at Phoenix Marketcity
