Rahul Da Cunha feels that the play One on One is a satirical take on the hollow ideals of society The idea is starkly different from the regular run-of-the-mill satires that one gets to see as far theatrical productions are concerned. And the play One on One,that will be staged on Friday August 20 at the Nehru Memorial Hall is a satirical take of a different kind. While the play itself has eight different monologues built into its fabric what sets it apart is the fact that all of them are disjoint and are not connected to one another except,if one would like to say in the holistic sense of it,with the audiences. Monologues have been around since forever,and weaving them into a play to tell a story is something that is not overtly unique, says Rahul Da Cunha,one of the producers,explaining more about the play. He however does maintain that the scripting of the plays is very different in the sense that not only are they not connected to one another but also the stories are set in contemporary India. They deal with issues that are relevant to the country. And I am not just talking about a section of the society but the country at large. If we take a rain check of the major issues that people feel are concerned with the country,I am pretty sure at least four of these will figure in the list, he adds. The eight stories each feature around two to three characters in them. The play has Shernaz Patel,Amit Mistry,Neil Bhoopalam,Preetika Chawla,Kunal Roy Kapoor and Anand Tiwari acting in the various monologues. Something unique about the play is the fact that the actors themselves do not speak to one another but to the audiences. He says,Its not like as though the audience is also a part of the play,but it is just a style of telling the stories. The 15-minute monologues tackle issues like terrorism bureaucracy,and even homosexuality and their effects in the common man. Da Cunha who has himself written two of the plays and directed three of them says that it is a unique experience in itself to have worked on something like this. Some of the monologues have interesting names and themes. For instance the monologue Instant Behosh deals with the issue of a young terrorist,who has accompanied one of the 26/11 attackers (in this case the captured terrorist Kasab)simply because he wants to audition for a dance reality show in India,while the play Kachre Ki Hifazat is a political satire wherein it deals with the amount of money and resources the state machinery spends in guarding politicians. The whole point about the play is not to bring about a social awakening of any sorts. Its just about poking fun at our own helplessness,and our own sense of ignorance that is so blissfully exploited through the rank and file of society through our own hollow morals. Basically it is about being able to laugh at ourselves and nothing else. And that I feel is the best way to prod people into thinking, he says with a light smile. (One on One will be staged at the Nehru Memorial Hall on Friday August 20,8 pm onwards)
