Journalism of Courage
Director Gashmeer Mahajani’s play,Tipping Point,aims to highlight the changing nature of our interpersonal relationships
The idea might sound a little far-fetched and quaint to a first time listener,but it is something that definitely cannot be denied,given the way relationships function in the current societal scenarios. Gashmeer Mahajani’s play,Tipping Point,tells one such story set in the future,where interpersonal relationships will be managed by agencies and companies,and people will be highly dependent on others to manage their personal lives.
To be performed on August 13 at the Sudarshan Hall,the play is a mix of the Constantin Stanislavski and the Brest school of thought,and incorporates elements ranging right from the fantastical to those that are outright realistic. The story opens in the year 2050,where agencies exclusively work towards helping people manage their relationships. We begin with an assumption that the computer is an organic being and that all its parts,like the motherboard,the mouse,the keyboard,and even the monitor are actual characters. In fact,the motherboard,(portrayed by Akshay Salunkhe),is one of those dark comic characters who is a lovable rascal,but with a very funny disposition.
The play also makes use of a lot of choreographic techniques to take the narrative forward. Mahajani says that is one of the plus points about the actors,as they are fluid enough to dance and convey the story too. He also says that adapting a novel is a totally different thing as compared to borrowing the concept. That was one of the reasons why when I had to sit down to write a play,I had to tread the fine line between actually getting the technical details right and ensuring that the audiences were not bored to death by the preaching, he adds.
Agent G35,one of the protagonists in the play,works for a relationship management company and is assigned the task of dealing with a customer’s wife and daughter,by chatting with them. The customer discloses all the necessary details about himself,so that his wife and the daughter think that they are actually interacting with their husband or father. How all the characters,including the computer motherboard,wind up towards a unique and inventive climax,is what forms the crux of the story. To put it in more lucid terms,the play follows a non-linear format that comprises flashbacks and elements of reality and fantasy,to put across a point to the audiences,without making it too heavy on them, he concludes.
(Tipping Point will play at the Sudarshan Hall on August 13 at 7.30 pm)
