Town Hall. 6.05 PM. Wanted to enter the hall with my team mates of Natya bhumi Group theatre. The lady in front of the door reminded that the show will begin at 6.30 and asked us to enter at that time.In front of the hall a little congregation of some senior artists were seen discussing something with few NSD officials.However we preferred to have some tea accompanied by our beloved light artist Pradip Das . Later the recent Akademi awardee Prabhitangsu Das joined us with an young man .I was introduced with the young man who according to prabhitangshu is a gifted light artist of kolkata. We had a good chat and I was asking about Arpita's latest production ' Machhi'....My goodness the young man said that he is the light designer of that production.We entered the hall in "right time".
The hall : It was in between two to three hundred spectators inside consisting of some theatre artists, NSD students and few known theater goers. The videographer was doing his sacred work sitting at the middle of the 3rd or 4th row posing hindrance for the people behind him.
The play: An adaptation of a hindi novel the play revolves round the theme of male female relationship.The narrator was telling a story about the primal passion _ Love in which he himself was involved. The slices of events are intricately woven. It narrates the plight of woen in a male chauvinist society.Finally after exposing a very much alive male dominated society the tale keeps hope only on the next gen{a child}.
The form: The appeal is to the rational analysis instead of flooding the audience with melodramatic extravaganza."Spectacles"are used twice but those were befitting.
Critic's take: The whole play thematically id feministic in tune. The writer shows no faith in the present generation, somewhat overlooking the social changes happening all around.Of course he showed one listener at least who somewhat represented a positive frame work of mind inspite of being a male and a youth of present day India.But he is noy part of the main story where all males including the narrator is dark.
But praiseworthy is the painting of women characters of different shades.Thr flirt , (made by situation),, the upper middle class who divorces her husband and enjoy s, the marginal who loves really but suffers.
The acting is good especially of the girl who played Yamuna and the other who played the narrator.One of the three listeners is too low often playing a faulty chord in the tuning of the dialogues. Contrary is the too much loud villainous alcoholic.
However, keeping in mind the age and experience of the Director and the actors this is a good production. The costumes are good and the music (except some from Game of Thrones,if I am not mistaken) is so so.Best wishes for the team.
P.S - The dialogue regarding the failure of Marxism, the reference to gorakshkak seemed to me as digressions.
23.10 .2017
