Nautanki

Har koi Nautanki karta hai... koi jaan kar koi anjaane main...

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Imps and Love Letter

Imps and Love Letters

Saw two plays this weekend.

Love Letters:
Acted by Rajit kapoor and Shernaz Patel. The play was good and the play script was very similar to “ Tumhari Amrita” by Farooq Sheik and Shabana Azmi.

The play portrays the relationship between two childhood friends, which switches occasionally from friends to sex partners to mentors and guides etc. I personally liked the usage of building blocks as the set…meaning different things at different time. While the play was based in the USA and a few things were difficult to associate it (Tumhari Amrita scores over it because one could easily associate with the different socio-economic conditions). Nevertheless a lovely play with great acting.


IMPS
An experiment to the core and really good improvisation the play was about improvisation with complete participation of the audience. The play was essentially 2 teams of 5 each trying to compete against one another in various short acting scenes (games) with ideas from the audience. While it looked very much like a regular game show exhibited on TV or a college competition, the actors were definitely brilliant. While a lot of it was improvisation and was base on live inputs. A keen eye could easily decipher that much of it could have been pre-planned (enacted). However, full points to the cast (all first timers) who were brilliant. The team play and respect for the other artist’s space was awesome.
My personal favorites were the enactment of playing solitaire while trying to depict the daily life routine of an audience member. Most actors are made to work on improvisation, as any goof-up by any of the artists during the play should go unnoticed and look like a part of the play. In IMPS the actors gave their co-artists enough ground and scope to sail through any dicey situation. Which was lovely.

All and all a good experience.

Monday, October 17, 2005

plays i watch list 2

Ramesh talwar
Kashmakash—too good. Lovely satire (tamrapatra)

Manto ismat haazir hai…too much sic sic..
Sherlock Homi- Not Bad.
Getting it right
Moteram – was a disappointment

Dinesh Thakur
Jis Lahore nahi dekhiya.
Beewion Ka Madarsa
Hai mera dil

Paritosh painter
Paying guest
Yeh dil maange more
Uncle samjha karo.

Makarand deshpande.
Sir, Sir..Sarla – 1 & 2. Lovly. Saw them back-to-back.

Shakkar ke paanch daane – monologue. Life main sab kuch thik hi kiya hai.
Aapki soniya—Farooq sheikh and Sonali Bendre. Amazing play.
Shatranj ke Mohre- one of the best [plays. Rageshwari sachdeva is outstanding.

Om katare
Zaraa inse miliye—nahhhh

Bansuri- felt liking out…but later found it to be decent.
Black with equal- nice use of stage and lighting.

Rakesh Bedi
Biwi O Biwi- Very sic.

24 Ghante – Bharat Kapoor – a good try but failed many misfit roles.
Tajmahal ka tender.- great sattire
C for clown – rajat kapoor and team rulzzzzz- experimental
I am not baji rao – Must for mumbaite.
Please divorce me darling- Rati agnihotri long time break appearance.

Plays i have watched

Below is the List of plays i have watched...trying to remember as many as i can

Dr. Mukta - Jaya bachchan and Bharat kapoor excellent performance. My begining of appreciating theatre.

Rajat Kapoor
Pune Highway - The other actors were even amazing. Situational
Class of 84- easy to connect with.

Javed jaffery
Hum le gaye tum rah gaye -- triple role...

All the Best - feroz khan --- I died laughing was too much too handle.

Naseeruddin shah
Katha Collage 1,2-- I was goood especially bade bhaiya, but 2 could have been better.

Nadeera Babar
Munshiji ki gudgudiyaan - lovely stories especially HOLI. all new actors.
Operation cloudbursts- terrorism in Assam or revolution - a thought evoking play.

Habeeb Tanveer
Kaamdev ka apna vasant ritu ka sapna.. Too good especially the live tribal music and dance.