Issue 5 | Year 1 | www.mytheatrecafe.

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Learn to put on your best act at The Drama School - Jehan Manekshaw

Stage performance is like meditation

A Rendezvous with Actor Darshan Jariwala

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IN This Issue

Rendezvous

Being In Motion Page 3

in intent and purpose, Gujarati Theatre can still surprise you with variety of themes, sadden you with the tunnel vision of greedy producers, enrage you with the lumpen venality of the rich audiences, who consider theatre at par with a visit to a mall and dazzle you with its sheer volume. English theatre on the other hand is still growing and groping for an identity, is marked by its unevenness of creative quality and a really limited reach among theatre lovers. Both have flashes of brilliance and despair. 4. You are very active in theatre as well. What is the most fascinating aspect of performing on stage?

Royal Applause Galore at Kirdar Drama Festival Page 4

Darshan Jariwalas rich experience and hard work shows in his performances. All this add a unique aura to his stature as an impeccable actor, whom we see on theatre, television and in films. He converses with Kirti Arora and shares his vision for Gujrati theatre, how he prepares for any role and much more. 1. How did your first acting stint happen? A: When I was about seven years - a one line part in a Gujarati play, in which my Mom was acting; I had been taken along to Delhi, by her and was a replacement actor for a slightly senior boy. I croaked out my line and ran off. 2. Television, films or theatre? Why? A: All three enable an actor to summon forth and hone a different skill set; all of them have different energies. 3. English plays or Gujrati theatre? How are they different from each other? A: Vastly different. Unapologetically commercial

A: Performing on stage is meditation, being in the present, an alert wakefulness, synching in with the pulse of the audience. Its a joy unparalleled, a process still unfolding, instructing. 5. Tell us about your latest play Bahut Nachyo Gopal. What kept you away from performing on stage this time? A: Lack of time, thats all. Its a collection of six characters connected to Lord Krishna, speaking to their own selves and to Him, revealing their unique place in His life, and conversely His unique place in their lives. 6. How has Gujarati theatre changed over the (Continued of page 13)

An Evening With Short FIlms Page 5

B E I N G
Deepak Sinha
Irene Sposetti and Johan Nilsson brought a new technique of improvisation to the floor, with their workshop on Contact Improvisation and Jam, at Artsphere as a part of Avayava 2013. Avayava is a contemporary dance festival organized in Pune by SPACE. The dancers were first made to sit in a circle and asked to hold the person next to them to become aware of their presence.The circle signified a primitive way of bonding and unity. Irene then put a word to the circle--receptivity and asked the circle to respond to it. The people in the circle responded with various words like touch, skin, feel , accept, and learn. She picked up the word skin and spoke of

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the floor to try this for a good 15-20 minutes. Then she asked the dancers to imagine one was an octopus and the other a fish. So one was basically hunting and the other was runnng away. The dancers were asked to improvise by connecting and feeling with all their body parts, hand, back, arm, chest, legs . Irene explains further, Body to body talking is the key to all contact improvisation . All information comes from physical structure.. something that comes from outside, information from surrounding come into me.. I can beecome a sponge. The workshop was a very cathartic experience for the participants and deepened their awarenes. The best part of the workshop was the simplicity (Continued of page 13)

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it as an integral part of communication and information .The circle was asked to be aware of it, head to toe. Then she called her partner, Johan Nilsson, and touched him. She demonstrated how to feel and connect with your partner by plugging in like stethoscope with your

hands. She asked to feel not only the skin, but the bones, the tissues, then right in.. to the very being. Listen to your partner. She then suggested both the people to explore their own space ;while one is feeling ,the other just exploring his own space through flowing movements. The dancers were left on

http://www.beingmotion.org/#!gallery/ vstc4=video-- A contact Impro Dialogue http://www.beingmotion.org/#!gallery/ vstc4=video---Praise

Royal applause galore at...

Kirdaars Drama Festival
Keyur Seta
During the recently concluded National Urdu Drama Festival by Kirdaar Art Academy, Iqbal Niyazi, founder of the academy, was often heard announcing, Dono Haathon Ko Baar Baar Milane Se, Umar Ki Ek Minute Badhti Hai [If you coincide your palms again and again (referring to claps), your lifespan gets increased by a minute]. Considering this theory to be true, we can infer that the audience increased its life span by many a minutes at the festival.

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and politician Shamsher Khan Pathan, Social Worker Abdul Rehman Vanoo, educationist Hasan A K Chougule, politician It was not the greed to Nizamuddin Rayeen and increase lifespan but the others. quality of plays that forced people to applaud. Theatre The plays that were groups from not only Mumbai staged include Ghazanfar but from places like Bhopal, Hussain (Pierrots Troupe, Lucknow and even as far as Delhi), First April (Parichay Kashmir had gathered to Theatre Production, showcase their theatrical Mumbai), Milavat (Kirdaar talent at the festival. This Art Academy), Pehle Aap year, the festival was (Rangrez Theatre Group, dedicated to late theatre and Mumbai), Yeh Kis Ka Lahoo film artists A K Hangal and Hai? (Kirdaar), Khol Do Dinesh Thakur. (Samooh Group, Jammu), A series of personalities Khala Kamal Ki (Adakaar from the theatre as well Group, Bhopal), Gandhi as non-theatre world were Ne Kaha Tha (Rangrez) felicitated at the festival. and Ek Aur Hadsa (Kabeer Some of these include theatre Group). personality and filmmaker Although all of these plays Sagar Sarhadi, ex-chairman were appreciated, Khala and director of National Kamal Ki and Ghazanfar School of Drama Ram Gopal Bajaj, music composer Hussain received maximum Kuldip Singh, retired ACP applause. The content of the

plays had an interesting mixture of tradition and modernism, just like the crowd that had gathered at

the five day long festival.

keyur@mytheatrecafe. com) l

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Beyond traditional storytelling

Deepak Sinha
Simple French stories could not have been told more creatively and guilelessly, as told at An evening with Short Films held at Shantaram Pond, FTII recently. In an era, where the youth is more impatient with short attention span, such short films would be the correct delicacy to offer films with a captivating storyline, humorous narration and a message to take away at the end. All this further supported with a sense of enigma to keep the audience hooked long after the screening is over. All this was achieved at this open air screening of short films. The evening started with the screening of the film L Accoddeur (The Piano Tuner) by Olivier Treiner. This is the story of a young piano prodigy Adrien who feels loss makes a human being more sensitive. So , he decides to turn blind and go around the city and tune the piano for people. He feels people show less restraint with a blind man. This lands him in trouble many times and the movie ends with a sting in the tail. This film has won the Audience Award Clermont at Ferrarnd Festival 2011 and Young Jury Award Clermont, at Ferrand Festival 2011. The next film to be screened was Grenouille D Hive (Winter Frog). In the

film, Benjamin, a French winemaker, has just lost his wife to a long illness. He feels only death will free his suffering. But , a young Japanese woman, who has come to taste his wine, makes him mourn the death of his wife in a more positive way. This film has amazing cinematography and can be watched for it alone even if one fails to enjoy the sense of enigma of the story. This film also touches one emotionally. The third film is titled Je Pourrais Etre Votre Grandmere ( I Could Be Your Grandmother). This film written by Joel Catherin and Bernard Tanguy, based on a true story was shortlisted for the Oscars 2012. This is the story of a young corporate lawyer, Olivier who is moved by the plight of the homeless. He makes

a sign for an elderly lady outside his house saying, I could be your grandmother? and there is a very good response from the people. The story races from here as this trend is picked up by other people. This story has a message to take-away for the audience. The other films that followed were Cul De Bouteille (Specky Four Eyes), Le Mozart Des Pickpockets (The Mozart of

Pickpockets) and La Ville Lumiere (City of Light). The short films charmed the audience because the films ranged from documentary, animation, narrative to experimental in genre. Through this they tried to transcend traditional storytelling. This event was organised by the French Embassy of India and Institut Francais in association with Alliance Francaise, Pune. l

Projects Consultancy Education Publication Multi Intelligence Analysis Preventive Health Check Up for Creative people & their families Ajinkya Tara Apartments, Shop no.11 & 12, Opp. P. L. Deshpande Garden, Sinhagad road, Pune 30. Email: rajesh@animationwala.com Cell Phone: 098225 07895

Kirti Arora

"I would have been a property dealer, if not an actor"

I had already seen Zangoora which is epic in itself! So, it was like a God sent call. 3. How do you prepare yourself for the role? A: I stay connected to the scenes, regular workouts, eating right because the show demands a lot of physical work and energy and most importantly regular rehearsals. 4. What is the most exciting aspect of being on stage? A: The people (audience). A happy audience adds the biggest value to the show. 5. Are you trained in theatre? A: No! But I did some plays and musicals, when was in Delhi. I have not really been a part of theatre since the time I have been associated with TV and films. 6. Which theatre groups have you been associated with? A : Natkhat, Kshitij and Delhi musical theatre group. 7. We have mostly seen you in comic roles. Any special inclination towards comedy? A: Yes! I like comedy. 8. Which actors do you admire the most and why? A: Sachacohen Baron Because he is a superb guy and he gets into different characters very easily, it is a treat to watch him act. 9. If not an actor, what would you have been? A: Property dealer. 10. TV, films or stage shows like Jhumroo? A: I like being a part of all of them. 11. Apart from acting, what are hobbies? your other

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Spotlight

Gaurav Geras role as Bhola in the musical show Jhumroo at Kingdom of Dreams, Delhi is being adored by everyone. His comic timing, innocence and stage presence makes you wish that the two-anda-half hour show shouldnt have ended. In an interview with Kirti Arora, he tells us how he prepares for the role, his association with various theatre groups and of course, his passion for cooking. 1. Jhumroo has recently completed its 300th show in Delhi. How does it feel to be part of such an amazing extravaganza? A: It feels great and gives a sense of satisfaction as our hard work pays off. 2. How did Jhumroo happen? A: Just got a call one random day and I said yes as

A: I love to cook and meet new people. 12. Which has been your favorite role on television? A: Nandu - Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. 13. What inspired you to start your own Youtube channel? A: It was a desire to do more than just acting. In the process of making videos I learned much more related to editing, writing, and camera etc. 14. What future plans? are your

A: Keep doing work that excites me be it films, TV or theatre. (Write your feedback to kirti@mytheatrecafe.com)l

Learn to put on your best act at The Drama School

Kirti Arora
Jehan Manekshaw is a name to reckon with professional theatre training in the country. His unique training style is the reason why actors like Kalki Koechin, Kunal Kapoor and many others rely on him as they prepare for their respective roles. Kirti Arora from MyTheatreCafe. com interacted with him to understand his vision of actor-creatorentrepreneur concept, his inspirations and much more. 1. What inspired you to pursue a career in theatre? JEHAN: In 1994, I saw a play, when I was at Wesleyan University, studying for my undergraduate degree (which I thought would be in environmental sciences), in which the stage transformed a whole bunch of times, a world with a gripping story, unfolded in front of me in the span of two hours. I went backstage to see how it was always done, and havent stepped off it since. 2. Your dissertation during graduation was focused on Post colonial Indian theatre and the work of Girish Karnad. Share some interesting insights from your research. JEHAN: I was trying hard to think about the stories I wanted to tell, and the world I wanted to represent. I was an Indian student, brought up in the same extremely western manner that you would expect of a Parsi family with a military background. I was out in the west, in an American environment with its own unique culture. Indian-western raised, is as different from being brought up in the UK, or US. The story of dissertation Hayavadana, was about the transposition of the heads of the two main characters on each others body, and the subsequent question, Who is Kapilla and who is Devdatt? For me, it was about my own cultural identity, of not knowing who I was, metaphorically, what was my head what my body was. Ultimately, I learned that the best things come from mixing it all up, always, and more importantly, the most important thing, was to just tell the story, and tell it well. Audiences were going to take their own meaning from the piece no matter how much it may have been an exploration of a particular kind for me. 3. Which Indian theatre personalities inspire you and why? JEHAN: Kanhaiyalal and his son Tomba from Kalakshetra, Manipur, Sankar Venkateswaran from Theatre Roots and Wings in Kerala, KV Akshara, from Ninasam in Karnataka. All of them, because they have a sincerity, rigour and focus to creating new work, or creating a platform and opportunities for theatre be made. They dont work in isolation, and are open to new ideas, collaboration

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and creating a theatre that is contemporary, relevant, and accessible to audiences. 4. You have worked with Tangram Theatre Company, New Wolsey Theatre and Mama Put Productions in UK previously. Tell us about your experience. JEHAN: Learning. I think the best bit about it was to be able to work as a producer, assistant to the artistic director, and as a director, in a country where theatre was an industry. There was a formal sector in which I could work. There were particular standardized ways of getting things done, so that you could have a rehearsal room and a process of creation. All that was purely about making the play, and all production, marketing, financing etc, all followed set processes that didnt get in the way of rehearsals. We dont have that kind of set up here. It is usually the director of the play, who does everything. I learned how to segregate roles, responsibilities, and yet see a well oiled machine come together to do one thing, create the play that went on stage. 5. How different is the working styles of foreign and Indian theatre companies? JEHAN: I think in both there is a great passion, to tell a story, to make a play. I think there is as much difference between one

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Indian company and the next, one foreign company and the next. The only thing is that Indian companies out of necessity tend to be amateur, rather than professional. There has been no space for professional companies to exist, or very few. I think my learning has made me appreciate working in a professional mode more and thats the environment I am working to create here, in what little way I can. 6. How is The Drama School different from other theatre academies? JEHAN: You have a lot of acting academies here in Mumbai. Theyre catering primarily to give students the basics for working in film, as actors for camera. Actors who go to Drama School, have always stood out for their versatility, their ability to play multiple roles, their sheer presence, look at Nandita Das, Naseerudin Shah, Irfaan Khan, all went to Drama School. We will explore the fundamental building blocks of performance through the conditioning and training of the body, breath/voice and mind/imagination. We will use this to teach them how to apply it to the creating of any character, the performing of any role, but more importantly in telling of any story. 7. What attributes do you try to cultivate in your students at The Drama School? JEHAN: Rigour, focus, professionalism form the core of the craft. A culture of lifelong learning is what we wish to impart. As students of life, we will never know everything; hence there must always be a willingness to learn

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more. We ensure students learn how to research, and further with its help embark on studying any aspect of life, theatre or any craft. Its like to be always be evolving as a theatre-maker. 8. Your website aims at actor-creatorentrepreneur concept. Tell us more about it. JEHAN: Given the lack of a formal sector in India, to create an actor that can work professionally and then put them out in a sector that lacks spaces for them to work would be irresponsible. They need to be self-starters, entrepreneurs. They need to be able to create their own work, not just wait for other directors to give them jobs. They need to be able to understand how to control and create the ability to produce their own work. I hope none of them will ever wait around for work, but find ways of making it happen themselves. They will be the people, who can shape an industry of theatre

practice, here in Mumbai. 9. Tell us more about the Eklavya-like approach that forms the core at Theatre Professionals. JEHAN: Simple, take responsibility for learning your craft upon yourself, push yourself to know more, seek more knowledge and become a master of it. 10. What aspects shall students keep in mind while choosing a theatre or acting school for training? JEHAN: The faculty, the vision of the school, what it seeks to achieve with its students, the opportunities it provides for connections to networks and to getting started once they graduate, and finally the track record of the people behind the project. 11. What would you like to advice students, who aspire to make a career in this field? JEHAN: That it is hard, but it is possible, and that you should be certain of the

reasons you are pursuing this field. 12. Besides the drama school, what keeps you busy these days? JEHAN: We run a program for teaching Drama in Schools across 4 cities: Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Bangalore. Our team of drama teachers has just grown to 18 people, and we work in 24 schools, teaching from LKG to 12th grade students. Were expanding that side of our operations, as there is a growing appreciation for the role of dramatics in the education space, and in the overall development of children. 13. What future plans? are your

JEHAN: A professional production company that does 5-6 plays a year, a theatre space that we can run, and a theatre festival that will one day compare to the likes of Edinburgh, Avignon and Adelaide. (Post your feedback to kirti@mytheatrecafe.com)l

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Love that laid the foundation to a city

Quli and Bhagmati. And in certain parts it took the shape of a dialogue between the two. The other characters Bhagmatis father and Qulis mother occupied a little screen space. Albeit in a small role, the princes mother, played by Rashmi Seth, made an impact on the happenings with her prophecy of the imminent catastrophe. Hyderabadis were offered a sumptuous meal of Urdu poetry in its pristine form. The way the actors enunciated the lyrical dialogues was laudable and the melodramatic conversation towards the end brought out the best of acting from them. Other highlights were the costumes with royal touch, the shadow dance sequence, and the lighting that breathed new life into the play. Above all, the rich heritage of Hyderabad was shown with finesse. The play Quli Dilon ka Shahzaada has been invited to open the prestigious NCPAs Theatre Festival in Mumbai. The play will then go to the Footsbarn Festival to be held in France. This production also marks 8 years of theatre revival movement by Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation. (Write feedback to mytheatrecafe.com) raja@ l

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Raja Satish
Internationally feted Mohammad Ali Baig is rightly termed Sultan of Epics, Master of Revival and Global face of Hyderabad Theatre by everyone. This time he brought the play Quli Dilon ka Shahzaada that revolved around the love story that laid foundation to the city of Hyderabad. It was a befitting vista of the history of Hyderabad from the 21st century. As part of Andhra Pradesh Tourisms Heritage Week, this historic play about the historical city was staged at the majestic Golconda Fort. Thanks to Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation for giving such a visual and auditory treat. The play was based on the lovelegend of the founder of Hyderabad, poet-prince Quli Qutub Shah and Bhagmati, a Hindu Devadasi girl and the events in their lives. The play had a crystal clear objective of bringing to light the rich heritage of the city of Hyderabad. The true Hyderabadi spirit triumphed when the glorious moments were recreated on stage. These string of pearls brought to life the grandeur of the pearl city. The makers made a conspicuous attempt to cater the play to the Gen Y audience. The entire life story of the two Mohammad Quli and Bhagmati, essayed by Mohammad Ali Baig and Noor respectively, was cocooned in a one hour narrative laced with live Qawali performance of Ustad Ahsan Khan and Adil Hussain Khan. Their rendition was complemented by the percussion of Syed Ismail and Shaik Dawood. The Hindustani raag Miyan ki Malhar coupled with bewitching poetry lingered on peoples minds even after the play. One thing that went miles in remembrance was the dramatic entry of Mohammad Quli. Thespian and protagonist of the play Mohammad Ali Baig rode a white horse into the middle

of the audience and gave the jawdropping moment of the play. The sole purpose of such an equestrian entry was to thank the audience for making it to the Golconda Fort to witness his saga of love. Although certain lines were not audible as there were no acoustics in place during the ride, but the feat was worth applauding. Then he progressed to the stage to start the proceedings. The romantic Quli was also the inventor of the Deccani dialect which is now prevalent in many parts of the region. The play was sharply handled and with its water-tight narration it traced the 16th century tale of unconditional love of Quli and Bhagmati their preordained meeting, blossoming love, nikaah, Bhagmatis transition from a danseuse to a consort, and her subsequent exaltation as a queen. Every detail in their love journey was collated and showcased to precision. The play was replete with monologues by the lead characters

Conceived & Directed by Mohammad Ali Baig. Cast: Mohammad Ali Baig, Noor, Vijay Prasad, Rashmi Seth. Qawwals: Ustad Ahsan Khan & Adil Hussain Khan. Produced by Begum Razia Baig. Design by M. S. Sathyu. Image Courtesy: Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation.

Skirting around a private affair

Kirti Arora
The play A Private Affair begins with a psychiatrist and her secretary missing the early morning flight. They, then decide to stay at the hotel for one more day and carry on with their patients appointment. In fact, in meeting the psychiatrists instructions, the secretary even forgets to inform the hotel reception that they would not be vacating the suite today, but tomorrow. As expected, the hotel suite is also allocated to Captain Mehta, played by Hareesh Chhabra. What follows is a mixed bag of chaos, misinterpretations and some funny situations. The plot of the play revolved around the missing case of a skirt that belonged to psychiatrist Geeta Thandani, played by Niti Phool and what ensues in its revelation. Niti in her psychiatrists role looks quite impressive and carries herself with a lot of aplomb. Her dialogues and body language too matched the pace of the character.

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Also seen on stage, Manohar Pandey as Geetas secretary, who is confused at times and is also besotted by his employer. His character is lovable owing to the honesty that Pandey brings to the role he plays. Despite being quite young, Pandey has the ability to make his act stand out amongst other professional actors. Hareesh Chhabra too gives a strong performance and lives upto the credibility of the character. He is complimented in his performance by Ahmad

Omair, playing the role of a waiter. Omair is hilarious with hs comic timing and tries well to match up to acting prowess of Chhabra. He even reminds you of young Rishi Kapoor with his body structure. Other actors in the play included Vijay Gupta, Manish Singh, Ahmad Omair, Gaurav Bansal, Ankur Singh and Tanay etc. The best quality of an actor is to forget his own self and get into the skin of the character on stage. And the play A Private Affair quite

lives upto that reputation, thanks to its trained set of actors. However, after watching CutCutCut from the same director, my expectations were met only half way in this particular play. There were parts that made me laugh. But there were parts, which I felt could have had more flesh. Overall, the play is enjoyable and must be seen for the passion put into the show by the actors (Write your feedback to kirti@mytheatrecafe.com) l

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Kirti Arora
In the past few years, Pierrots Troupe has made quite a name for themselves in the field of Urdu Theatre in Delhi. With time, they are gradually moving towards English as well Hindi plays. What sets them apart from other theatre groups in Delhi is their ability to work on original scripts, which are mostly written by groups director Dr. M Sayeed Alam. This time around, Pierrots Troupe showcased their comic theatrical skills in the Hindi play Cut CutCut. The show was unique in the sense that it presented rehearsals along with the actual performance in the same play. From clash of ideas to coming late for rehearsals, even worse, not coming for rehearsals at all, the show had audience in splits by depicting all the pain that goes into making a play. The play begins with

the lead character Kaushik trying to take a nap, when his young son Guddu (who is preparing for his exam) interrupts him. Kaushiks character is played by Manohar Pandey, who with his colloquial accent and body language receives accolades. His sons character essayed by Ram Naresh Diwakar too garners positive response from the audience. His nonchalant attitude even brightens up some dull moments in the play. Kaushiks wife is worried about his husbands health, when the grandma in the family suggests that it could be some evil forces that are hounding her son. There begins the journey to call a witch doctor in the house, who fights off the evil energies. Anju Chhabra in the grandmothers role looks cute and plays her part well. She began her role in the play at a feeble tempo

but later picked it up with energy. Moreover, watching Vijay Gupta play the role of witch doctor is an utter delight. His transformation from a Haryanvi speaking watchman to a funny witch doc is done brilliantly. Vijay Gupta belongs to that category of actors, who appear strong in their performances and that too effortlessly. His acting prowess and the ability to make people laugh lies in his years of experience, which shows easily on stage. However, the girl as wife looked jaded in front of other skilled actors. There is immense scope of improvement in her next performance. Hareesh Chhabra as JK was the play director and carried the role with equal ease. The anxiety, passion, disappointment associated with a plays director stood out well in his performance. In fact, his arguments with Dr. M Sayeed Alam, played

by Manish Singh were quite interesting. Both of them were always divided whether to improve the trust factor among the members of the group or work on their diction. In fact, Alams obsession with improving peoples diction forms the hilarious highlight of the play, which is poked by group members as well. The two-hour duration of the show passes like a glimpse. Interestingly, even when the play ends, happy moments from the play linger on in your mind. The play is a must watch and must be relished for its heavy dose of humour and fine acting skills. (Write your feedback to kirti@mytheatrecafe.com) l

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Bogey Systems
Raja Satish
The play is about a young mother and her boundless soliloquies with her seven month old baby. She tells about bogeymen and uses these stories to control the childs movements. The effective use of bogeyman stories to lay the plot-line and nurture the child during the growth phase is the most defining moment of the play. Melancholy seeps into her life when, one morning, she faces the mysterious death of her child. In her community, its customary to bury a dead infant in an earthen pot and the mother has to hammer nails into the grave. But she refuses to do that and wants to go to the sea, put her baby in a boat and let it sail away. The neighbors refuse to let her leave for the sea. However, beating all the odds, the young mother creates a sea and a boat for her dead baby to sail away. The director of this play is Swar Thounaojam. She is a playwright, a theatre director and a clerk. She has worked in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Munich, and is now Bangalore-based. Swar is a Charles Wallace India Trust awardee and a recipient of the Robert Bosch Art Grant 2010, and she was a resident at The International Playwrights Residency, Royal Court Theatre, London 2010. In this play the actors explored multiple Kannada and Manipuri bogeymen stories

Surreal tale of emotions!

the lines this man, that man pointing towards the multiple facets of humanity and how ones life is shattered owing to societal customs and practices. Symbolisms galore on stage the way they blew balloons on stage and burst the inflated ones showed the fragility of a relationship. If these are devoid of proper care they might take a dismal turn. The music in the form of a live guitar performance complemented the play and brought out the vivacity and turmoil surrounding a mothers life. It constantly lifted the mood and brought out the emotional element of the play. One thing that earned the wrath of audience is the heavy dose of Manipuri and Kannada at places. That also made some scenes cryptic beyond an average viewers intellect to decipher. If the entire play was in English it would have very well-connected with the audience. l

using text, movement, dance and music. The story of the young mother was told by two actors as narrators who merge at different points to become her. They were assisted live on stage by make-up artist, one backstage hand and a sound designer. The audience had some wow moments before the start of the play. The set design was inventive with many tube lights piled up, and some arranged in a circular fashion around the stage. When the actors took the centre stage it reminded of the classic West Side Story where theres a simmering silence that builds up the premise. Here the lead actors croon

Director: Swar Thounaojam Cast: Swar Thounaojam, Anu HR, Pradeep Gopal, Ramakrishna Kannarpady, Pavan Kumar P

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Being in motion
(Continued from page 3) the knowledge that my character has, about Vidya and her mission. It was not until I saw the film that I realized: Ohho! Its me who has trained her, sent her in, on trail of the traitors!

Stage performance is like meditation

(Continued from page 2) years? A: It has become more polished in production values, less connected to Gujarati Literature, its folk tales and music, more amusement oriented rather that the mirror of the societys mind, richer in rupee value, poorer in taste. 7. What would you advice people, who wish to make a career in theatre and performing arts? A: Welcome, Id say, and prepare for a long, hard and satisfying struggle! 8. How do you see the future of Gujarati theatre? A: It will survive, like cockroaches have, over a million years! Maybe, it will thrive, even. Maybe everyone connected with it will get out of their smug self-satisfied stupor and wake up to do something real and nourishing for our future generations to reconnect to our language and culture. 9. How did Hindi musical Jhumroo happen? Were you also involved in casting of the show? A: My friend Vikranth Pawar, who directed it, asked me if I would write it. We had worked earlier together on Zangoora, and knew the juggernaut thats the Kingdom Of Dreams. Yes, I threw up the names of Gaurav Gera and Vrajesh Hirjee for the main lead, but apart from that, casting was Vikranths cross to bear! 10. Did you expect the show to receive such a

fabulous response? A: At the cost of sounding vain, YES! It is a heartwarming story told honestly and simply. 11. Tell us about your experience of essaying the role of Mahatama Gandhi in the film Gandhi, My Father. How did you prepare yourself for the role? A: Preparation for the role was three fold: physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga, diet and workoutsdropping weight in pounds was easy. More difficult was to drop the mental and spiritual baggage. They were accompanied by hours of solitude and silence, witnessing and stillness. No attempts to mimic the great original, just imbibing and reflecting upon his stellar qualities. 12. How was your experience of shooting with Sujoy Ghosh for his film Kahaani? A: Mysterious and exciting. Sujoy never clued me in to the importance of my role and that was the masterstroke. When I performed the scene with Dhritimanji, my performance didnt sag under the weight of

16. Apart from acting, writing and direction, how else do you spend your spare time? A: Reading, movies. watching

]and the easy-to-learn guidance by Irene that made every dancer a part of the workshop. It seemed there was nothing to learn. Just presence . It seemed movement was already 13. How do you engrained in everyone, it just prepare yourself for a needed to be discovered. particular role? Such techniques A: I look and then look surely add to the world of again at the lines the contemporary dance and character says; also what push us into a philosophical he doesnt say. I try and exploration of human find out what the character movement and space. intends; mostly all pointers about what the character At the end many is, are hidden in the script. participants responded by The director helps me to asking, was it a form of house the character in my meditation? To which Irene body, helps me in my body replied, It is a form of language, also the tempo, improvisation technique. the pace at which the Irene and Johan share particular scene needs to be their love of dance and played in order to achieve music. They travel, teach its intention. and organize artistic events. 14. What are you They created Being Motion currently doing? in 2011, which for them is a platform for research, coA: Almost finished creation and diffusion of shooting Mr. Raj Kumar our dance practice. Their Santoshis Phata Poster dance practice is inspired Nikla Hero, and Devika by Contact Improvisation, Bhagats One By Two; Bodywork, Release, readying for the first Meditation, B.M.C. and Ahmedabad tour of my Techniques of Improvisation. Gujarati play Santu Rangili, and concluding negotiations Irene says about her for a Hollywood Feature film dance practice, I love to to be shot in May in India. use movement and music as tools to explore and inquiry, 15. What are your to transform myself and future plans? offer to others the possibility A: Life is what happens to reveal and access their to you while you are busy qualities and presence. making Plans, isnt that a In India, the artists have Beatles song? performed at The Gati Dance

Forum, New Delhi, Zorba the Buddha Ghittorni, New DelhiArambol Beach, Goa, Auroville, Tamil Nadu.

Their video recently won an award at the Toronto Contact Film Festival. Irene (Post your feedback to and Johan are surely going kirti@mytheatrecafe.com)l places. l

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