Lights, camera…

Chinmay Mandlekar and Madhura Welankar Satam in Mr & Mrs

In an era of technological advancement, Priyadarshan Jadhav makes an attempt through his Marathi play Mr & Mrs to show the outcome of high-tech devices and their impact on real life. Written by Aslam Parvez and Nilesh Rupapara, the play sees Chinmay Mandlekar and Madhura Welankar Satam in lead roles. It is directed by Priyadarshan Jadhav of Fu Bai Fu-fame. While Mandlekar plays Amit, who was once a successful movie star, Satam is essaying the role of Meera, a banker. Talking about the plot of the play, the director says, “Amit, who is out of work, doubts that his wife is having an illicit relationship with her office colleague. One fine day, he meets his producer friend who offers him a reality show, whose shooting is to take place in his own house. It’s all in Bigg Boss style, with Amit and Meera as participants.” The play premiered in Mumbai in December, and was later staged in Pune. Jadhav says, “This play is not for the audience of a certain age-group but for everyone. It makes them think about the device called camera, which has entered our lives in a big way. Whether we are at a restaurant or a hospital, we are busy clicking random pictures. It is not technical but emotional, and reflects tomorrow’s reality.”

Classic on stage

At the heart of the classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a tug-of-war between discipline and free will, the system and the rebel. Feisal Alkazi’s Hindi play based on the book premiered last year, to acclaim from the crowds and critics alike. A mental ward becomes a battleground between Nurse Rachet, who enforces a Draconian style of discipline and Prabhu Prakash Deshpande aka Pappu, a free-spirited new inmate. It was staged in the first week of February in a show organised by Sanjivani, a Delhi-based counselling centre. “I had staged a play based on the film 30 years ago and thought it was time to revisit it. Though the story is American, it is relevant to Delhi,” says Alkazi. -EFS