When Gulzar saab pulled a prank on me!

It’s amazing how words fail you when you’re trying to pen down a few lines in praise of your favourite wordsmith.

I don’t remember exactly what the moment was when I felt the full impact of Gulzar’s poetry and lyrics. But it must have been way back in school, when there was hardly anything to watch on television and listening to music was my favourite pastime, specially just before sleeping. Fond of old Hindi film songs, I would end up listening to quite a few gems from the era gone by.

And then one night, they played the song ‘Mera Kuch Saamaan’ from Ijazat. I had not seen the movie and had never heard the song. What a beautiful, beautiful track! If this is what they called poetry, then I wanted to listen to all of it, listen to all of Gulzar saab’s songs. I heard more of him, discovered more of him. I think if there’s one word to describe his lyrics, it would have to be honest. I often find myself nodding my head listening to his poetry because somewhere deep inside, his words resonate with me. As I’m sure, they do with others. Because at the end of the day, all of us are the same. And Gulzar speaks for all of us. His words, ringing out clearly and honestly.

                With Gulzar saab and a photobomber at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai

I’m privileged to be in a profession where one of the biggest perks of the job is that I can meet people who I really admire. And meeting Gulzar saab and talking to him, not once but on quite a few occasions, will always remain special for me. Call me old school, but I hate getting pictures clicked with celebrities or people I interview. But each time I meet this man, I get one clicked with him.

Whether it was his casual way of asking ‘haina?’ after completing a sentence or sharing a hilarious anecdote about his camaraderie with Pancham, it was Gulzar saab’s childlike demeanour that stood out at every occasion. But the incident I recall with utmost fondness is when he played a prank on me! I had interviewed him at his house in Pali Naka, Bandra and the photographer was clicking his pictures. I knew his beloved pet dog Pali had passed away some time ago and I asked him if he would ever consider keep a dog again. “But I have already. There he is, sleeping in the corner,” he said. I was surprised and whipped around to see a small dog curled up in a basket in a corner of the room. “Go ahead, he won’t do anything,” he urged. Being a little afraid of dogs in general, I cautiously moved ahead, hoping that he keeps sleeping. It was only when I had reached the edge of the basket did I realise that it was indeed a bronze cast of the dog! “Gulzar saab, I can’t believe you played a joke on me!” I exclaimed while he had a hearty laugh. “I like doing this to people,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

On his 82^nd birthday today, I wish Gulzar saab many, many more years of a healthy and happy life. May his words keep speaking to us, always.

Much love

The Art Addict

Say cheers to beers!

On the various Whatsapp groups that I’m a part of, there was one thing common on August 5 – loads of videos of many parts of Mumbai submerged under water or messages about local trains running late, or worse, stopped completely. Was I worried? Not one bit! For at that moment, I was on the Mumbai Pune Expressway, enjoying the rains and the absolutely breath-taking view on my way to Four Points by Sheraton, Pune.

                                                              What a view! 

As we drove past numerous waterfalls and mountains barely visible through the fog, I couldn’t help but get a good feeling about this two-day getaway from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai.

It was International Beer Day and the hotel had invited a bunch of us to try out some of their cool beer cocktails and the new Olympics special menu. Not only was I curious about the beer cocktails (having never tried one before), I also wanted to experience their hospitality, something I had heard positive things about. On reaching the hotel and settling in my room, we were given a quick tour of the venue.

                                  A comfortable bed is an assurance of a happy stay

The hotel, with its tastefully-done lobby, comfortable and neat service apartments and a variety of restaurants to cater to everyone’s taste, was impressive. With their promise of comfortable beds ensuring a good night’s sleep, free internet, fresh coffee and cold beer, I could see why this hotel has some great ratings on most travel sites.

                                             Happy International Beer Day! 

But what I was looking most forward to, was the evening when all the action at Best Brews – their signature bar started. Vijayan Gangadharan, the hotel’s General Manager kickstarted the evening’s program with a small speech and invited us all to try their Olympics special menu, comprising beer cocktails and beer appetisers. In-house Beerista Aniket quickly got behind the bar to conjure some really cool drinks. While The London Sour Beer Cocktail was an absolutely refreshing mix of lime, orange juice and mint, the Mexican Michelada was our favourite, reminding us of a tangier Bloody Mary, but with beer!

                                     Beerista Aniket with the London Sour Beer cocktail 

The Marshmallow Beer too was spot on, with the sweet taste of marshamallows perfectly complimenting the taste of the beer. Paired with some interesting bar snacks, the beer cocktails really got everyone in the mood to have a great time.

                                             Plenty of beer cocktails to choose from

And what a time we had! From beer quizzes to beer pong and even a competition on which group would gulp down the most number of beers the quickest, everyone had a blast. The extended Late Night Happy Hours between 11 pm and midnight added to the revelry.

                                                Getting ready for beer pong! 

A deep sleep courtesy the hotel’s comfortable beds, a wholesome breakfast in the morning, followed by a quick dash to the famous Kayani Bakery to get our fill of their famous mawa cakes and we were back on the highway heading to Mumbai. 

                                               Spoilt for choice at Kayani Bakery 

But it wasn’t just the goodies from the bakery we carried back with us, but happy memories of a ‘beery’ good time too. Cheers!

Much love

The Art Addict

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.

Can't stay away from theatre!

It was while watching the premiere of the play 12 Angry Jurors at St Andrew’s Auditorium the other day, that we realised how much theatre stands to gain when somebody it has nurtured years ago, returns to it. We are, of course, talking about actor Deven Khote, who returned to theatre after a hiatus of over 20 years with the play Scent of a Man three years ago and plays a crucial role in 12 Angry Jurors. 

Till the end of the play, it is Khote who keeps the audience at the edge of their seats, waiting to see when his resolve would break and he, too, like the others, would change his stand. His breakdown at the end is so convincing, that I couldn’t help but be glad that this actor who appeared in numerous stage productions in the 1980s and 90s, decided to come back to his first love after a successful career in the media and advertising industry.

                     Deven Khote, Dipika Roy and Rajit Kapur in 12 Angry Jurors

Like Khote, there are numerous other actors who have felt the need to come back to their first love. A couple of years ago, actor, producer and director Neeraj Vora, too acted in a Gujarati play titled Waah Guru. He was acting on stage after a gap of two decades. At that time, Vora had told us, “When you start your career with theatre, the love and affection for the medium, and the thrill of performing in front of a live audience never fades away. In the last couple of years, actors such as Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Saurabh Shukla have decided to rekindle their affair with the stage after years of staying away from it for numerous reasons.

While it can be argued that for most of the above-mentioned names, the big screen had not much left to offer and so, they re-found their way to theatre, it is not the norm. Take Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, for instance. The NSD graduate has acted in some of the most successful films in recent times and is all set to play a significant role in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees. But even he was compelled to take a break from the arclights and face a live audience after a gap of six years with the play Iss Kambakht Saathe Ka Kya Karein?

                                Dipti Naval and Shekhar Suman in Ek Mulaqat

For some veteran actors, the stage is not a comeback, but an exciting discovery. I was truly surprised to learn that Dipti Naval had never acted on stage before she made a beautiful and intense debut as Amrita Pritam in the acclaimed play Ek Mulaqat three years ago.

Director and actor Terrence Mann once said ‘Movies will make you famous, Television will make you rich, but theatre will make you good’. And if the audience keeps getting to watch such talented actors on stage, it will make them happy.

Cheers!

The Art Addict

PS: After performing in various cities and even at some international venues and completing over 100 shows, Bangalore’s Sandbox Collective is bringing down Koogu, a solo performance by Anish Victor to Mumbai and Pune from June 11 onward. The solo performance comprises a series of vignettes based on real events, all examined in the light of larger ideas of freedom, culture and tradition. There will be text and sound, dance and music and naturally, we too will be there to catch all the action. Be there! 

Play review: Iss Kambakht Saathe Ka Kya Karein?

Minor health complications, shifting to a new home and general laziness… just some of the reasons the blog was inactive for a couple of months. But without further ado, let’s get on with what this blog is here for… love for the performing arts.

A couple of days ago, we got a chance to speak with Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub. The talented actor – a graduate from National School of Drama – has received rave reviews for his performance in movies such as Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Raanjhana and has an equally impressive line-up of films in his kitty, including Raees with none other than Shah Rukh Khan. However, our interest in the young man was more to do with his passion for theatre than for his big screen engagements. The actor spoke to us about his new play Iss Kambakht Saathe Ka Kya Karein? and that he was making a return to theatre after almost six years.

                                                             Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub 

We saw the play on Wednesday night at NCPA. Directed by his wife Rasika Agashe, Iss Kambakht Saathe Ka Kya Karein is the Hindi adaptation of the Marathi play Sathecha Kay Karecha? written by Rajiv Naik. Zeeshan plays Abhay, a successful ad-filmmaker whose biggest grouse in life is that Saathe, a documentary filmmaker is more successful than him. Or so he feels. He vents out his feelings as and when possible in front of his wife Salma (played by Rasika), an English teacher by profession. The tensions and drama rests on the conversations and play of words between these two diametrically opposite people. While Abhay doesn’t let go of any opportunity to criticise Saathe, Salma’s reaction is to enjoy the smaller moments of joy that life brings.

This dark comedy relies much on the chemistry between the two principal characters and that is where, we feel, the play scores. While Salma’s character sounds a tad too preachy in the initial few conversations and the English dialogues a little forced, the overall impact is that of a couple who enjoy each other’s company and you look forward to the next scene and conversation. Without Abhay’s dry wit and Salma’s light-hearted repartees, the play would have become too dark.

                                        Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Rasika Agashe 

However, there were some areas where the play could have done better and music is one of them. In most places, the music is either too loud and drowns out the dialogues and therefore, the impact they are meant to create. In others, the choice of song has no connect with the situation. Some scenes, like the one in which Salma starts crying or Abhay’s emotional monologue towards the end of the play, feels a little out of place as there are no tensions created leading up to the same. One is also left a tad dissatisfied as an audience at the end as the resolution doesn’t feel like one.

Overall, the play makes for an entertaining watch. Kudos to the dialogue writer for making the conversations seem everyday, yet, engaging. And watch it to see Zeeshan on stage, before you get to see him play larger than life characters onscreen again.

Raise a toast to 2016!

Here’s wishing you all a super, duper new year!

Let me begin this new year post by declaring something I read somewhere.

Theatre was created to tell the truth about life.

Now, I’m really not sure where I came across this quote, or if it is by some famous personality, but it has stayed with me ever since I read it. Maybe because a lot of what I saw on stage this year, and the years before, has made me think deeply about things I never gave a second thought to, reflect on things I never imagined I needed to, and at times, even question some of my own beliefs. Theatre, let me tell you, can be quite an eye-opener.

Last year, I managed to pack in a number of good stage performances, heard some veterans open their hearts about their passion for theatre, and generally soak in the positive energy that only a good theatre experience can induce. The year began with the Aditya Birla Group’s super initiative Aadyam, with the purpose of bringing theatre closer to people. 2015 also saw the grand musical Beauty and The Beast being performed in Delhi and Mumbai. The NCPA and Prithvi Theatre, again drew in theatre lovers with their respective festivals.

           Gauhar will be staged as part of Lillete Dubey's play festival

But the new year is upon us now, and there’s lots more to look forward to in the world of art and culture. The success of Aadyam has ensured that we get another round of five new plays this year too. The talented Shankar Mahadevan will lead an ensemble of 22 musicians in a musical production which will seek to capture the diversity of India’s musical legacy at the NCPA at the end of this month. Pack your bags and head to Jaipur as the city gears up for the Jaipur Lit Fest from January 21 to 25. Renowned speakers and literary heavyweights include Stephen Fry, Margaret Atwood, Esther Freud among others.

While Akvarious completed their 15 years last year, Lillete Dubey’s theatre company Primetime Theatre completes 25 years this year, and some of their best plays including Dance Like A Man, Adhe Adhure, Wedding Album, 30 Days in September among others will be staged at three different venues in the city from January 15 onward. It’s a landmark year for Rage as well, as it will be 15 years since they conducted their first workshop in 2001. Ten brand new plays will mark their Writers’ Bloc to be staged in April this year.

                           Rage's Writers' Bloc will take place in April

Imran Zahid, the actor who played the lead role in Mahesh Bhatt’s play Hamari Adhuri Kahani, tells us that this year, we will also get to watch Milne Do, an Indo-Pak collaborative play, in which actors from both countries will be seen promoting the message of peace. “While I play the main lead, the actress cast opposite me is from Pakistan,” he adds. Ustad Ghulam Ali will be lending his voice for a song in the play which will be staged in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lahore and Karachi. Rajat Kapoor continues his love for Shakespeare and is again donning the director’s hat for a new play, As You Like It. The play is expected to be staged in the first week of March.  

And while all these guys are doing their best to give us an awesome stage experience in the new year, let’s keep the spirit of theatre alive by encouraging and supporting their endeavours. The Art Addict plans to make the most of this journey. Will you?

Cheers!

Much love, 

The Art Addict

PS: The closing shows of Manav Kaul’s Colour Blind, based on the life and works of Tagore, are at Prithvi Theatre on January 7, 8 and 9. If you haven’t already seen it, then this is your chance. 

The taste of childhood

Almost everyone I know, has at least one or more memories related with food. If I talk about myself, it would probably be the time when I was in standard ninth, coming up with a tastefully decorated salad which nobody ate because it looked so pretty, that no-one felt like disturbing the plate. I didn't know whether to feel offended or not!

A couple of days ago, I attended the book launch of Chillies and Porridge at The Bombay Canteen. The anthalogy of food, with essays contributed by people such as Tara Deshpande Tennebaum, Manu Chandra, Bachi Karkaria, Nilanjana S Roy, Wendell Rodricks and many others, and edited by Mita Kapur, was a revelation for me. Back home, reading through some of the essays, I could almost smell the liquor-fattened plums and raisins, going into Wendell's aunt's Christmas cake and sense the delight that Niloufer Ichaporia King felt, while strolling around the many bazaars of Bombay.

But perhaps, it was Rocky and Mayur's memoirs, of growing up in South Delhi as kids in the '70s, that ignited my childhod memories. Growing up in South Delhi in the 80s and 90s, it brought back memories of jars of black carrots fermenting in the sun which turned into the super tangy kaanji, that my brother was fond of. I preferred the aam panna, which my mother prepared from raw mangoes, a taste which I have never managed to replicate till date or found in any of the packaged varieties. It gave me an unexpected thrill to read about the street food vendor calling out 'kaale, kaale phaalse'. My friends in Bombay have never understood what the blackish-purplish fruit, made even more tangy with the special masala provided by the 'phaalsa wala', means to me. It reminds me of my childhood in Delhi, of lazy Sunday afternoons watching Spiderman on Doordarshan, searching for ladybirds on blades of grass during summer holidays, picking shehtoot from the trees growing in the colony park and rushing back home, so we could wash and devour them. Now, when I visit supermarkets and find packaged mulberries being sold at obnoxious prices, I sigh inwardly and think of the simple times when all we had to do was walk inside the park and pick up the 'gire huye shehtoot' from the ground.

Mita Kapur, Chef Floyd Cardoz, Tara Deshpande Tennebaum and Bachi Karkaria

Perhaps it does make sense to document our relationships with food. At the book launch, Tara had said that we come to a know a lot about people or cultures, when we discover their relationship with food. Maybe we need more of such books, that take us back to our roots and tell us who we are, where we have come from and where we are headed.

Much love
The Art Addict

PS: One of our most favourite people in the world, Gulzar, is teaming up with Salim Arif once again for a children's play called Nuclear Sher. The first show is on January 3rd 2016, at Prithvi Theatre. The show promises to bring the magic of Panchatantra stories on stage, in a contemporary and fun way. Whether you're a kid or an adult, this one is a must watch.