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Starring : |
Mohit Takalkar, Shraddha Karve
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These days when a whole lot of people are falling head over heels for Himesh Reshammiya’s ‘Suroor’ and when films of Yash Raj Productions gain international mileage, we have someone here talking about Ustad Rashid Khan and films like Mandi. A staunch supporter of all that is beautiful, nineteen-year old Dharmakirti Sumant, is on a spree to revitalize the tastes of the bourgeois Indian audience. His play CHAARU AARU ITYAADI which has been in the news, is a depiction of the restless young mind who wishes to question the taste of the average Indian audience vis-à-vis the cultural scene and raise it to a higher level that is based on intellectual satisfaction. The conflict is that the mass Indian audience is still not ready for it.
These questions of who decides what is good for him and the larger question of aesthetics and meaningful entertainment underline the day to day conflict of minds between two partners in a live-in relationship. Charudatta (Mohit Takalkar) is an assistant director with a big filmmaker, while his partner Aarohi (Shraddha Karve) is a social worker. Opposites attract and so is the case with Chaaru and Aaru. He is a cleanliness freak while she is least bothered about her things. Charu is a connoisseur of Indian Classical Music but Aaru find solace in the ‘Oye Oye’ track from the popular Hindi film, Tridev. The play’s theme thus translates into a debate over points of view towards towards life, art and the couple’s relationship.
It is amazing to see the mind of a nineteen year old galloping in all directions; exploring vistas to reflect on what he sees around him. His attempt to intertwine a relationship within the larger canvas of modernity, art and society was therefore well received. However, the production falters. In an effort to make his point clear, Dharmakirti appears to get carried away while criticizing Yashraj Films. ‘Salaam Namaste’ – a Yashraj film that talks about live-in relationships was used as a tool for this. This criticism and the ensuing discussion on the film was too long and repetitive. Mohit Takalkar took on his character with an easy-going attitude but he also came across as being monotonous. Shraddha Karve was good with her realistic stance. However her eyes were rarely visible to the audience.
A static, middle class setting was used for the play. Lights and Music were not experimented with much and almost the whole play transpires under a general light. Some effects are seen only at the start and at the end of the play. Although the production doesn’t promise anything particularly extraordinary, it is by all means, a one time watch in order to appreciate the efforts of Generation Next playwrights.
*Asmit Pathare is a software engineer by profession and a young theatre enthusiast. His theatre experience dates back to his college days in Sangli. He has participated in theatre productions and has his own blog, which reveals his passion for poetry. His column ‘The Marathi Theatre Round-Up’ is now a regular feature in the Prithvi Theatre Newsletter (PT Notes). He has assisted Atul Kumar of the Company Theatre with music for the production NUMBERS IN THE DARK and continues to work with him. The above play was reviewed on 5th September 2007 at the Awishkar Cultural Centre, Mumbai.
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