Review: An Unposted Love Letter

If there was one play which I had meaning to watch for a long time, but somehow or the other, not being able to do so, it was An Unposted Love Letter. Over the last few months, director Mohit Sharma and I must have exchanged a number of messages about it, but it was only a couple of days ago that he invited me, yet again, to watch the show and I instantly said yes. As easy as that!

So on a rain-drenched Saturday evening, we made our way to The Hive in Khar to watch the play, based on Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing’s short story. For me, the highlight of the play was the evocative writing by Doris, although I wondered if the actor, Ankita Shrivastav, would be able to hold the audience’s attention for the 80 minutes duration of the monologue. Turns out, she could and how!

“I don’t need a husband. I have many… husbands,” declares the actress on the stage. For that is what Ankita is in the play, an artiste. There is no linear narrative or a single stream of thought that comes out of her mouth. Instead, there are a series of ideas and thoughts that cross her mind, as she questions what society expects from her and how she really feels as an artiste. Yes, there is conflict with society, but there is also a sense of acceptance and peace with her inner-self.

The USP of the play lies, quite obviously, in its writing. But it’s far from direct and it will take a skilled viewer to read between the lines. The ideas expressed in the play are complex and if you are looking purely to be entertained, then this is not the play for you. However, if you are looking to witness a beautiful piece of art, then we suggest you don’t give this a miss.

The person who carries the weight of the show on her petite shoulders, Ankita too deserves praise in the way in which she brings alive the conflict within herself on stage. Writing help to a great extant but it’s only an actor with a good stage presence who can make the audience feel for the character.

Ambal Productions, the guys behind An Unposted Love Letter, have also done the black comedy Toba Tek Singh, stand-up comedy Oye… Stand Up!, the comedy-satire Mera Bharat Mahaan? and the poetry-performance Old Monk Aur Main.  They deserve credit for taking on a play which might not be a crowd-puller but deserves to be seen because of its artistic value. We can’t wait to see what next they come up with.

Cheers!

The Art Addict

PS: The next show of the play is scheduled at The Hive on 20^th August at 9 pm. We suggest you book your tickets early.