Motley seems to have mastered the art of rendering literary stories in dramatic form. After its tryst with Ismat Chugtai and Sadat Hasan Manto, it now continues its theatrical romp with writers, Munshi Premchand and Kamtanath. And if rumours are to be believed, there is still more to come...
Although KATHA COLLAGE as a title is slightly misleading because there aren’t many stories (just three of them and two in fact are by the same writer) to justify a collage, the play succeeds in conveying the ethos of these stories just as its progenitors did.
Minimalism is a hallmark of most of Motley’s productions and it is this quality that leaves an enduring impact on the psyche of the audience. Besides, the chaste Hindustani/Urdu of the plays lends a poetic touch to the production.
Each of the three stories whether it is Badebhai Sahab, Shatranj Ke Khiladi or Sankraman is representative of the vicissitudes that humanity undergoes. The stories are also significant in their exploration of relationships-two brothers (Badebhai Sahab), two friends (Shatranj Ke Khiladi) and father and son (Sankraman).
The focus of the dramatic action rests on narration rather than on the display of histrionics. Even then, the elements that make up a play such as backdrop, movement, music, lights, etc. are all in place.
The varying possibilities of narration are finely exploited in the second story-Shatranj Ke Khiladi, in which two friends speak about each other and their wives while acting out their characters. Rather than speaking about themselves, they become responsible for each other. Theatrically, this works to the advantage of the story, as the narration itself becomes a motif to highlight the idiosyncratic and the poignant aspects of the story.
The music too is weaved in beautifully with the second story, as is the simple yet intelligently transformed backdrop. The backdrop is a flexible screen like device divided into three parts. In the first story, it serves as the village school, in the second it vividly highlights the divan khana of the rich in Lucknow in a pre independence era of 1857 while in the last story, it represents the exterior as well as part of the interiors of a modest house.
Props again are minimally used and yet the sparseness of this production brings to life the literary work of the selected writers. Performances are chiselled although Imaaduddin Shah as younger brother in the first story needs to brush up his act. However, in spite of his limitations as an actor, he displays a certain ease, which is rare for newcomers to the stage.
If the last story Sankraman seems like venting too much of the existential angst (it is long winded), the performances by Naseeruddin Shah, Seema Pahwa and Jameel Khan rescue it. Seema Pahwa delivers a commendable performance without having much to say in the story. On the whole, KATHA COLLAGE is a piece of theatre that is at once intelligent, stimulating and engrossing. It possesses a timbre and a tone that only few narratives are capable of achieving.
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Although KATHA COLLAGE as a title is slightly misleading because there aren’t many stories (just three of them and two in fact are by the same writer) to justify a collage, the play succeeds in conveying the ethos of these stories just as its progenitors did.
Even then, the elements that make up a play such as backdrop, movement, music, lights, etc. are all in place. 
Props again are minimally used and yet the sparseness of this production brings to life the literary work of the selected writers. Performances are chiselled although Imaaduddin Shah as younger brother in the first story needs to brush up his act. However, in spite of his limitations as an actor, he displays a certain ease, which is rare for newcomers to the stage. 
