A tryst with theatre

Money makes the world go round. But what happens when there are many contenders vying for some easy cash while hiding some secrets of their own? Actor-director Imtiaz Khan’s new Hindi play Loot, that opened recently at Mumbai, takes a humorous look at this issue. Produced by actor Gautam Chaturvedi, who was last seen in Ekta Kapoor’s Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii as the reticent Gautam Bhaiya, Loot also marks the debut of television stars Mazhar Sayed and Chhavi Mittal. Amit Verma, Chaitanya Adib and Shishir Krishna Sharma comprise the rest of the cast.

The play revolves around two men, Freddy and Denny, who loot a bank. But after reaching home, they come to know about Freddy’s mother’s demise. Mr Mascarenhas, Freddy’s father, is attracted to Fay, his wife’s caretaker. The booty is stacked in the same house where Mrs Mascarenhas’s coffin lays waiting to be buried. To add to the chaos, a cop lands up at the house to investigate the case. Who finally gets a share of the booty forms the crux of the play.

Interestingly, Loot was written and directed 15 years ago by Khan where he had cast his brother, renowned actor Amjad Khan, as a cop. Imtiaz has decided to revisit the play and present it in a new avatar and a different language to theatre aficionados. “All of us have certain beliefs about the various institutions like the bureaucracy, the police, the nursing fraternity. But what happens when these professionals are quite different from what we believe? For instance, we believe that nurses should serve the common man, but what happens when a nurse deliberately kills a patient to earn some money? Loot is a black comedy about these institutions,” says Khan. The current political and social scenario prompted him to revisit the play and make it more funny and contemporary.

Chaturvedi, who makes his foray into Hindi theatre with Loot, is upbeat about his new venture. He admits it was the love for stage that prompted him to produce a play. “I have been an actor for the last 14 years, but never got a chance to do theatre. I always wanted to be associated with theatre. So I thought I should realise this dream by producing a play. Imtiaz, who is also part of my company, Pinetree Pictures, and I discussed few scripts. Finally, we chose Loot as it was a comedy play that could prove to be a perfect stress-buster for theatre lovers,” he says.

Chaturvedi, had earlier produced a Marathi musical Jallosh in 2007, wherein 14 television actors had narrated a love story in a live stage performance through the song and dance routine.
For Loot, he decided to give a break to his friends from the television fraternity. Quiz him if it was a cost-cutting measure and he says, “Not at all. We were looking for senior, good actors who were keen to do theatre. Moreover, all of them suited the roles and would be seen in a different avatar. Mazhar is playing an effeminate character, Chhavi is portraying the role of a sexy nurse, while Chaitanya is seen as a cop who always goofs up, someone on the lines of Inspector Jacques Clouseau of The Pink Panther.”

Sayed, who has always been seen in serious roles in Kaahin Kissii Roz and Saat Phere, is glad to do comedy for the first time. “I play a pansy who is in love with his male friend (played by Amit Verma). Initially I was a little apprehensive but eventually I agreed. Amit and I have been best friends since 10 years so we were very comfortable. I had earlier played a nachya (an effiminate character) for a dance number in Nach Baliye with Mouli Ganguly. It was just a three-minute sequence. But for the role in Loot, I had to be in character in front of a live audience for two hours. That was tough,” says the actor.

Mittal, who is best remembered as the simple girl next door in Tumhari Disha, is seen as a slutty nurse in the play. Rather than getting stressed out about the medium and the role, she decided to enjoy the experience. She says, “I followed the script and just went with the flow. Since the other actors had acted on stage before, they guided me. All of us gelled together as a team,” she signs off.