Songstress with a soul

Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo on early beginnings, her future plans and how music fuels her life

Time Magazine calls her Africa’s premier diva. Her fans believe that she is Africa’s most internationally celebrated female musical exponent. Meet Angelique Kidjo, a Grammy Award-winning, celebrated Jazz singer, composer and performer, who performed in Mumbai recently. The artiste who was born in Benin has won the hearts of several people across the globe with her striking voice, philanthropic work and fluency in multiple languages. Her genre of music is largely identified as African and World. Apart from collaborating with artistes like Bono, Peter Gabriel and Carlos Santana, Kidjo has also mesmerised audiences on countless stages, including performing at the concert to kick-start the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

In her new album Oyo, Kidjo revisits the music that was instrumental in her artistic formation in Benin, the country whose communist dictatorship she fled in the early ‘80s. In this album, she even reinterprets a song — Dil main chupa ke pyar ka from the 1953 Hindi film Aan.

In an exclusive interview with Screen, she shares her passion for music and her Indian connection.

Were you excited to perform in India?

I was very excited and was looking forward to play in front of the Indian public as I respect your culture very much. I have been to Mumbai before. I performed there once with the great Trilok Gurtu. I had a very fond memory of the city, its honking cabs and incredible market. I love Indian fabrics. I am sure I’ll find time to visit the textile market again!

Why did you choose Jazz as a genre?

I have never done the same kind of album. So now my fans know that my musical style will always evolve. But in a way there is a strong unity in all the music I have done: they are all influenced by my African roots. And these roots, throughout the history of slavery, have travelled far away from my hometown. This is why I never feel I’m lost!

You have infused different genres like Afropop, Caribbean Zouk, Jazz, Gospel and Latin styles in your music. What prompted you to do so?

I think the biggest influence for me was traditional music from my country Benin. At age six, I could sing all the folk songs: the first time I sang on stage, it was the traditional Atcha houn that is featured on Oyo. As a teenager, I discovered with my brothers the music from America and England. I would not change my musical education as being exposed at an early age to the creativity of the ‘60s and the funkiness of the ‘70s was a blessing for me.

You are proficient in four languages (Fon, French, Yoruba and English) and have also come up with new words in your songs. Do you love languages and how did you think of introducing new words?

It is not a language per se: I just make up words that sound good to me musically like Wombo Lombo, Batonga etc...- Speaking of language, on Oyo, you perform the songs of American artists whose lyrics you often didn’t understand as a child but still loved.

You are involved with a lot of philanthropic activities. What prompts you to be so actively involved in it?

When I started to work with UNICEF, I discovered that education is the only long-term solution to change the face of the African continent. Girls in Africa (and I am pretty sure in India also) have a lesser access to education so I decided to support them in five countries in Africa. Because I realise how lucky I was as a little girl to have a loving family that provided education and health care for me. I need to give back to my continent so that everyone can have the same opportunity.

What are your future plans?

I just recorded a song for a Lullaby album with Carla Bruni, Martha Wainwright and Madonna. I sung for the next Red Hot and Rio album. I am working on a concert with the Luxembourg orchestra, and on a book. My life is so busy, I don’t have time to get bored!

You have collaborated with various artistes and experimented with various genres of your music in your career. Do you plan to collaborate with any Indian artistes? Just like Africa, even India is a melting pot of cultures. What kind of Indian music do you like?

I love Anouska Shankar and I just met an Indian singer Chandrika Tandon who was nominated at the Grammy with me. I have played Talvin Singh and Trilok Gurtu. Indian music has a lot in common with African grooves.
What kind of music did you grow up listening to and which artistes did you idolise?
I think Miriam Makeba is my greatest influence. Her success showed me that you could be an African woman and be successful, respected and be an ambassador of your continent. It was great growing up with eight brothers and sisters, amidst a variety of culture and musical traditions. It has shaped my musical career: people always note that my style is not purely traditional, it is because not only did I learn all the traditional songs but also the music from Stax, Motown and… Bollywood.

How did you get interested in music?

I love the stage. The first time I sung in public, I was six and I have been hooked ever since. So my passion is touring all over the world and meeting a new audience. My mother is the one who put me on stage and it has changed my life forever. I haven’t left the stage ever since!

How would you define your music?

I am convinced that music is a universal language and that it has the power to create a bond between people from different cultures. It helps us understand each other better. You don’t need to be an Indian to like Sitar or Tabla. It’s the same thing with African music.

Angelique Kidjo performed at Mumbai’s Blue Frog on March 10 and the National Centre for Performing Arts on March 11.

Breaking new grounds

Shweta Tiwari portrayed 13 characters in a solo performance in Saif Hyder Hasan’s new play Aaine Ke Sau Tukde.

An actor playing diverse characters in one film has entertained and enthralled audiences. Whether it was the late Sanjeev Kumar enacting nine personalities in Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974) or Priyanka Chopra entertaining us with her histrionics as 12 different girls in Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee (2009), such films have given actors an opportunity to showcase their acting prowess. Fresh from the success of Bigg Boss 4, television actress Shweta Tiwari recently took up such a challenge and portrayed 13 characters of both genders in a solo performance in Saif Hyder Hasan’s Aaine Ke Sau Tukde.

The play essentially deals with sibling rivalry between identical twins––Meenal and Maanya. Meenal leads a happy childhood till Maanya, who was living with her uncle, is brought back home. Gradually Meenal starts feeling neglected and lives under Maanya’s shadow. The solo act starts off with a 40-year-old Meenal recounting her life to the audience and gradually enacting all the characters who have played a pivotal part in her life.

Undoubtedly this was the most challenging role for Shweta. The doe-eyed beauty admits that she was very apprehensive while taking up this project. Says Shweta, “After reading the script, I realised that there were many characters. I asked Hasan innocently,’Which actors are essaying these roles?’ and he told me candidly that he expected me to portray all of them. I was at my wit’s end. He tried to convince me a lot but I kept on refusing. Finally he asked me to come for a rehearsal and asked me to enact all the characters.” What followed next even surprised Shweta. She realised that she could play all the 13 characters albeit with a lot of effort.

Explaining how she went about it, she says, “Hasan asked me to imagine every individual’s social background and their mannerisms and encouraged me to enact each character differently. I have played a two-year-old girl, a mother, grandmother, teacher, nurse and lawyer in this production. I also played male characters like Meenal’s childhood friend, a 10-year-old boy, her uncle etc. Usually people have seen me as a delicate, feminine actress in my tele-serials, but for the first time they got a chance to see other shades of my personality. But there isn’t a single character that is similar to my off-screen personality.”

The leggy actress also confesses that it was quite an ordeal to enact these roles and it inadvertently took a toll on her. She says, “There were times when I felt like a loser as I couldn’t get the right nuances. This role made me cry and drained me emotionally.”

Interestingly, the play has been revived after five years. Titled Mirror Mirror On The Wall, it was first staged in 2006 and starred tele-actress Payal Nair. Though it had small performances, it garnered good reactions. Hasan, who had directed it then, thought of reviving it after he showed the script to his friend, actor Joy Sengupta. After the latter liked it, the director thought of staging it in Hindi. He says, “I took liberty with my own work and turned it into a quasi-surreal play. I wanted to rope in an actress who is not only good but is popular. I was also keen to stage it on a larger scale.”

Not surprisingly, the director is all praises for Shweta. He says, “She is instinctive, spontaneous and hardworking. Shweta gave me a lot of inputs and revised some scenes that only enhanced the whole production. She plays a dark, quirky character who is lovable. Meenal’s character is like a tragic hero of a Shakespearean play.”

Hasan is planning to stage the play abroad and already has seven shows lined up this month within Mumbai.

Aaine Ke Sau Tukde premiered on March 13 at Mumbai’s Rangsharda Auditorium.

Adventure junkie

Sunaina, who is best known as Dr. Anjali Gupta in the popular medical drama Dil Mill Gaye, teamed up with her friend, telly actress Dimple Inamdar, who was seen in the tearjerker Aathvan Vachan, for the show.


Rinky Kumar

Television artiste Sunaina Gulia lived life on the wild side in The Amazing Race Asia Season 4.

As a child, television actress Sunaina Gulia enjoyed watching treasure -hunt shows and wished to participate in one such programme in her life. This year, she got an opportunity to realise her dream by participating in the famous adventure reality show The Amazing Race Asia Season 4. Currently being aired on AXN, it features 10 teams comprising two members each, who have to finish several tasks, in a race around the world.

Sunaina, who is best known as Dr. Anjali Gupta in the popular medical drama Dil Mill Gaye, teamed up with her friend, telly actress Dimple Inamdar, who was seen in the tearjerker Aathvan Vachan, for the show. The duo, who first met each other on the sets of the tele-serial Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa eight years ago, has been the best of pals since the last three years. The travel freaks have visited more than 20 destinations across the globe and have tried their hands at adventure sports like sky-diving in Greece and surfing in Brazil. The Amazing Race Asia was on their ‘to-do’ list.

They started off by sending across their three-minute audition tape for the show. The best friends narrated their love for adventures sports and desire to live life on the dangerous side in the video. But their tape was not ready on time. However, luckily, due to popular demand, all applicants got an extension. Since Sunaina was suffering from appendicitis and had to be hospitalised, the tape’s final segment was shot in the hospital. The 31-year-old added an emotional albeit slightly melodramatic touch to her plea for participating in the show. Finally, Sunaina and Dimple were selected. The other teams comprised a father-daughter duo, martial arts experts, tattoo artists, social workers and musicians from different parts of Asia.

Sunaina says, “We have lived and travelled alone. We are intelligent, resilient individuals and wanted to push ourselves to the limit in this show.” They trained for 90 days and learnt martial arts. Apart from jogging and doing yoga, they also religiously watched the previous episodes of The Amazing Race Asia.

Quiz her about the experience in the show and she says, “Everyone should try it. It’s simply amazing. You end up doing a lot of crazy stuff but in the process discover who you really are.” She recalls that she had to do white-water rafting and scuba-diving that she had never attempted before. “I was extremely scared. I thought I would hit my head on the rocks and we had to maintain our balance on a raft in the midst of a mad, raging river,” Sunaina explains. Besides these daredevil stunts, the telly actresses also had to do crazy tasks like dressing up as ancient warriors in a village and eating 100 meatballs at one go.

Apart from getting in touch with her adventurous side, this show also proved to be a learning experience for Sunaina. She says, “I can never wake up in the morning without a strong cup of coffee. But in The Amazing Race Asia, I could sleep for only two hours and didn’t need coffee to wake up.”

Sunaina admits that before entering the show, everyone had warned her that it might jeopardise her friendship with Dimple. But she clarifies that her stint at The Amazing Race Asia strengthened their bond. She says, “We balanced each other. Though I lost my temper a couple of times, Dimple was calm and collected.” Ask her if we will soon see her in any other Indian reality show and she smiles, “I’m not too fond of dancing. But I would love to be a part of an adventure reality show.”

October 22, 2010 Screen

Music for the soul

Rinky Kumar

Tochi Raina, whose Gal meethi meethi bol is rocking the charts, aims to serve the helpless through music and spirituality.

Aisha might have received a lukewarm response at the box-office but one song that is ruling the airwaves consistently is the Punjabi folk composition Gal meethi meethi bol. Though the song is seen in the movie only for 40-50 seconds, it has caught on for its foot-tapping rhythm and effortless rendition by Tochi Raina.

The singer, who had earlier crooned O pardesi from Dev. D and the male version of Iktara in Wake Up Sid! for Amit Trivedi is basking in the success of his third consecutive hit with the composer. He says, “We knew that Gal meethi meethi bol would be a hit. Amit knows which song suits my voice and offers it to me accordingly.”

Tochi explains that whenever he takes up a song, he first reads the lyrics, understands their meaning and relevance in the film and then sings. “I try to comprehend the poetry in the lyrics. Beautiful lyrics coupled with a lovely composition inspire me to sing better,” he adds.

Known as a singer, Tochi is also actively involved in Sufism and spiritualism. He practises music therapy and treats asthma patients too. He first realised the healing powers of music 15-16 years ago when he was a teacher at Delhi. He says, “A student suffering from asthma came up to me and said that he would get tired after singing for just five minutes. I was doing some research in vocal sounds at that time and took up his case as a challenge. I gave him several vocal exercises that cleared his nose, ears and throat and helped him to sing confidently.”

Soon word spread and Tochi started treating asthma patients. In fact, he has also treated his manager, whose vocal chords were affected after an operation. “My friend introduced her to me and she broke down. For a year, I helped her to imbibe a positive energy and follow spiritualism,” he smiles.

Tochi’s tryst with music and spiritualism began almost two decades ago. Born in Bihar, he had his education at Nepal where his father, a government employee, was posted. The singer narrates that he realised the significance of selfless service during his childhood. “Our quarters were located opposite a cremation ground. I would often go and watch the last rites of people just out of curiosity. And gradually it dawned upon me that man becomes so helpless toward the end of his life. It’s futile to be materialistic. We spend our entire lives earning money but when we die, we don’t have anything at all. That’s when I decided that I will try to serve the society.”

But initially Tochi was clueless how to go about it. He shifted to Patiala and tried to pursue photography but soon realised that it was not his calling. He later moved to Delhi where he met his guruji Pandit Vinod Kumar, who is the disciple of Indian classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

“I learnt singing from Panditji and music evoked my interest in Sufism,” he says. Gradually he started following the works of reputed Sufi singers Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan and Ustad Altaf Hussain Saarang of Afghanistan. Tochi confesses that though he hails from a musical background, he’s the first professional singer in his family. “My grandmother and uncle played the sitar and violin respectively,” he says.

He came to Mumbai a few years ago to make a career as a playback singer. He met music director Rajat Dholakia who later introduced him to Amit Trivedi. Tochi got his first commercial break with Bulleshah in A Wednesday! in 2008. He says, "Director Neeraj Pandey and music composer Sanjay Chowdhury knew me well and were keen that I should record this song. But unfortunately I lost my mother at the same time. But Sanjay and Neeraj were patient and showed immense faith in me. I’m grateful to them for giving me my first big break.”

The director and composer were so impressed with Tochi’s rendition and presentation that they urged him to appear in the music video too.

Tochi followed it up with the chartbuster O pardesi in Dev. D. But rather than basking in the success, he went into severe depression as he was not given due credit for the song in a popular website. He explains, “Four months after the song became a hit, my friend told me that a website had given the song’s credit to singer Toshi Sabri. I was highly disturbed as it was unfair. I contacted the lawyer of the film’s production house, he sent a notice to the website and they gave me due credit overnight.”

But he admits that the damage was already done. “Toshi didn’t come ahead and clarify that he was not the singer. That year, I lost almost all the shows as he bagged all of them. I would have never done anything like that. It hurts when after striving for such a long time, someone else steals your thunder.”

The singer battled his depression through meditation. After lying low for some time, he weaved his magic again with the male version of Iktara and followed it up with Gal meethi meethi bol. Quiz him if he’ll ever work with other composers apart from Amit Trivedi and he says, “I’ve already recorded seven or eight songs with other composers. I’m open to working with everyone.”

Apart from film songs, Tochi is also working on forming his band Bandagi. He elaborates that it will provide a platform to all those artistes who have never got a due chance to show their talent. He also intends to combine Sufi and Jazz and explore a new genre thereby. “My guruji Pandit Vinod Kumar always said that Sufi and Jazz are quite similar as both of them deal with spiritual singing. He suggested that I should attempt both. After coming to Mumbai, I started learning western classical guitar from my teacher Ram Ramchandran who also reiterated the same point. So I decided to follow their advice. It will be like a compilation of Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi poetry,” he signs off.

September 10, 2010, Screen

Dreaming big

Shaikh Nassir has pioneered the trend of directing popular remakes like Malegaon Ke Sholay and Malegaon Ka Superman with limited resources

Set in the narrow bylanes of Malegaon, popularly known as the power-loom town of Maharashtra, Shaikh Nassir’s video parlour was a one-stop entertainment shop for film lovers ten years ago. Stocked with black and white classics, Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters, Nassir’s parlour offered a wide range of options to the locals for over two decades to entertain themselves at the end of long hard day.

Though his shop did brisk business, Nassir always nurtured a desire to provide a different kind of entertainment to the locals. The movie-buff, who had acted in several school dramas and watched Chitrahaar, the weekly show on popular Bollywood songs on Doordarshan religiously during his childhood, says, “I loved watching movies of Jackie Chan, Charlie Chaplin and James Bond and always felt that I should make films to entertain everyone.” He gradually learnt video shooting and started his career by capturing local weddings on a video camera.

Bur rather than making an original film, Nassir decided to make remakes of popular movies. “I would have loved to make a brand new film, but it would have been too expensive. So I thought of directing remakes and make the best use of the limited resources available.”

In 2000, Nassir decided to make his first film as a remake of the evergreen blockbuster Sholay, one of his personal favourites. “Two of my friends resembled Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra and I didn’t have to try too hard to scout for the locations,” he says. So he took a loan of Rs 50,000 from his brother, roped in his friends and used daily equipments to make the film. “We had limited resources and a tight budget so we had to use the available equipments. After much brain storming, I decided that we could use a bullock cart as a crane and a trolley as a cycle and used a video camera to shoot the film in Malegaon. I also roped in my friends Akram Khan and Hameed Subani to write the film’s script.”

The duo tried to stay as close to the original script as possible and only incorporated few changes to make the film set in the local milieu and make it funny. So Gabbar Singh became Rubber Singh and Basanti was called Basmati. While in the original, Gabbar Singh’s men raid the villager’s homes and rob them of their money and jewellery, in the remake, Rubber Singh’s men board a local bus and rob the natives of daily amenities.

Shot within a span of two months, Nassir eventually made VHS tapes of the film and then sold them in his parlour. The film was a resounding success among the locals and the debutant director managed to make a profit of Rs two lakhs.

Inspired by this success, Nassir decided to make more such films. His second venture was called Malegaon ki Shaan, a remake of director Ramesh Sippy’s superhit Shaan and was shot with a Panasonic digital TV camera. “Malegaon Ki Shaan was a parody of the original. We had better resources for this movie so in terms of picture quality and cinematography, it was much better than my first film,” says Nassir. Once again, they used local amenities to add a certain finesse to the movie. In the original, Shakaal (played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda) has a revolving chair. In the remake, the villain had a similar chair which was placed on a bullock cart’s wheel that was manually spinned by the crew during the shoot. Like its predecessor, Malegaon ki Shaan, too proved to be a success amongst the locals.

But Nassir shot in the limelight after filmmaker Faiza Ahmed Khan and her team shot a documentary, The Making of Malegaon Ka Superman, on his forthcoming movie Malegaon ka Superman. Shot in 2009, the film is a spoof on DC comic’s famous superhero and will be released in the power loom town this year during Eid. It’s based on a shy boy who suddenly gets superhero powers. Shot within a month on a budget of Rs one lakh, it stars Akram Khan, who is a far cry from the conventional Superman. He’s a thin, short man who dons Superman’s light blue outfit with M for a new emblem (denoting Malegaon) and wears boxer shorts with long draw strings (nada) deliberately left hanging. Khan dances in the fields, saves his love interest from goons and can’t fly too high as he’s malnourished. “We made Akram slide on a log of wood that juts out of a cart and asked the crew members to wave out his red cape from behind. The cart moves forward taking Akram along and creates an impression that he’s flying,” explains Nassir.

The documentary was screened at the Osian Film festival last year and generated a lot of interest about Nassir’s film. “Malegaon ka Superman has travelled to several film festivals including Doha International Film Festival and has also been screened at the 40th International Film Festival (IFFI) at Goa,” says the director excitedly.

Nassir’s success story has prompted other movie-buffs to try their hand at directing similar films. He has given creative inputs for other movies like Malegoan Ke Karan Arjun, Malegaon Ki Lagaan and Malegaon Ka Don, which have also been loved by the natives of the power-loom town.

Thanks to his works, Nassir is now directing SAB TV’s latest silent comedy Malegaon Ka Chintu. Inspired by popular British comedy series Mr Bean, the show is about a simple native of Malegaon and the hilarious incidents in his life. As of now, Nassir is focussing all his energies on his debut television serial. Quiz him, if he’s keen on making any more films and Nassir says, “Right now, I’m concentrating only on Malegaon Ka Chintu and films have taken a a backseat. I just hope the show is liked by everyone.”

Romancing the wordsmith

Theatre activist Mujeeb Khan’s group IDEA staged 50 plays on Munshi Premchand’s stories in a 10-day festival, Prem Utsav

Many years ago when playwright and director Mujeeb Khan first read Munshi Premchand’s story, Kafan, about a poor man who collects money for the funeral rites of his dead wife, it left an indelible impact on his mind. Gradually Khan, a literature student, started reading the author’s works diligently and learnt about his life. Five years ago on the writer’s 125th birth anniversary, the theatre activist decided to pay a tribute to him through a 10-day long theatre festival, Prem Utsav, and a series called as Aadab Main Premchand Hoon.

Since then the festival has become an annual event where Khan and his Mumbai-based theatre group - Ideal Drama and Entertainment Academy (IDEA) - stage plays on the author’s short stories. Till date, they have staged 238 plays. This year, IDEA staged 50 plays as part of Aadab Main Premchand Hoon, that was held from August 1 -10 at Sathaye College in Mumbai. Some of them were Badnaseeb Maa, Mandir Masjid, Miss Padma, Lottery and Kafan.

“We had first staged Premchand’s stories like Bade Bhaaisaab, Pashtava and Sava Ser Gehu. But we started enjoying the whole process of staging plays based on the litterateur’s stories. Rather than adapting his plays, I chose his stories as the whole challenge lies in staging a play on a story and doing justice to it,” says Khan.

According to the theatre activist, the most difficult task that he faces is to stay as close to the story as possible and transport the audience to the era as depicted in Premchand’s works. “Munshiji’s works were set in a certain period. So I ensure that the era is created in my plays through the make-up, costumes, lighting and backdrop. I also focus on the language as he would write in chaste Hindi and Urdu,” explains Khan.

He also chose Munshiji’s stories as they are relevant in the present social milieu. “He would deal with topics like poverty and romance that are still prevalent today. In 1911, he had written a short story, Kanooni Kumar, in which he has mentioned that it was time to pass a women’s bill. Early this year, the women’s reservation bill was passed. In 1916, he had tackled the subject of a live-in relationship in Miss Padma. Today, live-in relationships are rampant. Munshiji had an amazing foresight.”

Apart from the author, Khan is keen on celebrating festivals on famous literary figures like Rabindranath Tagore, Ismat Chugtai and Saadat Hasan Manto. His next venture is a festival of plays based on Tagore’s stories and poetry
and is called Namaste Main Rabindranath Tagore Hoon. “Just like we have archaeological society that preserves old monuments, I consider myself as a theatre archaeologist responsible for preserving the works of literary greats and presenting them to today’s generation.”

Treading regional grounds

Marathi theatre gets a shot in the arm with NCPA Pratibimb: Marathi Natya Utsav, NCPA’s first-ever festival of contemporary Marathi plays

Marathi theatre has always been known for its socially- relevant plays dealing with a multitude of contemporary issues that not only compel the audiences to think but also generate an awareness amongst them. In order to give an impetus to this kind of theatre, the National Centre for Performing Arts, Mumbai’s premier cultural institution, has conceptualised its first-ever festival of contemporary Marathi plays - NCPA Pratibimb:Marathi Natya Utsav. The event, which is planned as an annual feature in the institution’s calendar, was organised from August 7-11 at the Experimental Theatre, NCPA.

Critically-acclaimed plays directed by young as well as old directors like Baaya Daar Ughad, Ek Rikaami Baju, Geli Ekvees Varsha, Ekmekaat, Aanandbhog Mall and Mahapoor were staged at the event followed by lively sessions of debates and discussions conducted by theatre experts like Shanta Gokhale, Jayant Pawar and Sumedha Raikar Mhatre.

Explaining the relevance of the festival, Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA said, “NCPA has always been the home for several dance, drama and music performances. But I have never got a real reply as to why despite being a premier cultural organisation, Marathi plays were never prominently displayed in our programme list. Marathi plays have always explored a variety of issues and we want to provide a platform to the young talent to showcase their skills. Since this is the first edition of the festival, it’s being conducted at the Experimental Theatre. Eventually, we want to produce our own Marathi plays and conduct workshops in this language. We are also planning to conduct festivals for Bengali and Gujarati theatre.”

Actor Atul Kulkarni, who started his career with theatre, has been actively involved in organising this festival for the last two months. He said, “Before I started my acting career, I still remember the days when I would come from Solapur, my hometown, to Mumbai. NCPA was one of the first places that I would visit. It was like home to me and I remember seeing some great plays over here. I always wished that this institution’s vast infrastructure should be used especially by the Marathi theatre. I’m glad this festival has served this purpose.”

The actor further explained how any theatre festival is always relevant as it creates a positive atmosphere that promotes collective energy. “Theatre is about interacting and sharing an energy between the actors and the audience. I see Pratibimb as the beginning of a movement to promote a vibrancy that I have missed in the last couple of years in Marathi theatre.” Deepa Gahlot, Head Programming (Theatre and Film), NCPA, explains that the basic motive was to familiarise the audiences with Marathi theatre, so after consulting stalwarts like Shanta Gokhale, Vijaya Mehta and Waman Kendre, a perfect mix of classic plays directed by old and new directors were chosen for the five-day event.

Director Sushama Deshpande on Baaya Daar Ughad:

The play: Baaya Daar Ughad is a play based on poetry (abhang) by women saints from 13th to 18th century. The poetry explores their relationship with Lord Vitthal. These saints derived courage to face life through this spiritual relationship which was their source of happiness and a means to understand themselves.

The inspiration: I got the idea for this play after reading an article about women saints in search of Lord Vitthal. I was intrigued and thought of writing a play on it as I have always focussed on women-oriented issues. I started reading poetry penned by these saints in the 13th century and realised that they were very progressive and focused on women’s liberalisation.

For instance: Earlier in rural Maharashtra, women were considered impure during their menses and were prevented from praying. One of the poems addresses this issue and says that since women’s minds and souls are clear, why should they be prevented from performing prayers during their menses? My play charts the journey of three women who undertake a yatra in search of Lord Vitthal.

Director Manaswini Lata Ravindra on > Ekmekaat :

The play: Ekmekaat is a play about a girl who is very angry with the world. Her pessimism affects her romantic life as her beau has a completely different personality and craves for stability. While they both seek answers from the world they live in, it seems that the quest for a secure and successful life serves to link them after their break-up.

The inspiration : Three years ago when I attended the Royal Court Theatre Workshop in London for emerging playwrights, I had first submitted a script of this play to the organisers. That time the idea had not been fleshed out completely. Once I returned I completely forgot about it. But a few months ago, I thought I should revive the script and direct a play on it.

Actually, the present status of women in the Indian society compelled me to write this play. I feel that contemporary women have a lot of anger and angst. They can’t express their emotions about a lot of things and it starts affecting their inter-personal relationships. But even today men are still conservative, so they can’t accept this aggressive streak in women. I would describe Ekmekaat as a play about complexities. We have performed in different parts of Maharashtra and I’m glad that people of all ages could relate to it.

Director Aniruddh Khutwad on Ek Rikaami Baju and Mahapoor :

The plays: Ek Rikaami Baju is the Indian adaptation of a play written by British playwright Louise Page. It’s about a young lady whose life changes after she is afflicted with breast cancer. In its unique style, the play has only three actors playing 16 roles. It travels through various time-zones and locations to present various small scenes.

Mahapoor is about a youngster, Govind Ragunath Kawthekar, who is torn between his upbringing and his philosophy of life. His love for his childhood sweetheart and hatred for his parents provoke him to live in his own world of virtual reality.

The inspiration : I read Louise Page’s play on actor Gitanjali Kulkarni’s recommendation. I was instantly impressed with it as it was very sensitive. We decided to adapt it to the Indian context and stage it. So I contacted Page and got her permission.

Later, I visited the Tata Memorial Hospital for my research. I soon realised the magnitude of this disease and the play’s relevance in today’s society. Usually women above 40 are detected with breast cancer but there are also rare cases where younger women have been afflicted with this disease. While in the original play, there are different characters, in Ek Rikaami Baju, I have deliberately made two actors enact 16 roles as I wanted to make the play very realistic. I believe in the Stanislavsky system of acting (method acting) so I conducted workshops with my actors so that they could enact these various characters effortlessly.

Mahapoor means flood of thoughts. It was written in 1972 and first staged in 1975. It’s a modern classic that focuses on psychological behaviour. Though the play was written over three decades ago, it’s still relevant now as even today’s youth is undergoing an identity crisis. Govind, the protagonist, symbolises today’s youth who are considered worthless by their predecessors. I have only changed the treatment of the play and made it more intimate. The actors perform very close to the audience in order to make them feel their angst.