The AMI Arts Festival, hosted by Kolkata Centre for Creativity, has quickly emerged as a much-sought-after cultural event of the city. Its theatre segment looked like a showcase of contemporary theatre from Maharashtra. This reviewer could not make it to the shows at G.D. Birla Sabhaghar as Saanp Seedhi clashed with Lafzon ki Gathri at the KCC amphitheatre and Gulabijaan was cancelled due to the fiasco caused by disruptions in Indigo flight operations. But the shows held at the KCC amphitheatre between November 22 and 30 made innovative use of the intimate space, making the visits rewarding.
There were surprises, of course. Dastan-e-Ret Samadhi (picture, middle) is one. Based on Geetanjali Shree’s haunting novel, Ret Samadhi, which explores the eerie after-effects of the Punjab Partition, this was a dastangoi performance with a difference. Enacted by Mahmood Farooqui and Poonam Girdhani, this Urdu production is a contemplative piece in the magic realism mode. The actors — in traditional white clothes — did more than retelling a moving family saga; they made the audience appreciate the subtle departure points in the narrative, occasionally using literary asides meaningfully. Farooqui’s efforts in reinstalling the dastangoi form have yielded interesting results. Dastan-e-Ret Samadhi is a cut above the rest.
Dramatised storytelling found a stimulating expression in Lafzon ki Gathri, directed by Seema Bhargava Pahwa. Essentially a loosely connected collage of three stories — “Bade Bhai Saab” by Munshi Premchand, “Akeli” by Mannu Bhandari and “Yaadein” by Bhisham Sahni — the production took a few risks. Notably, “Bade Bhai Saab” became “Badi Didi”, an experiment in gender reversal which did not really work as the critique of the colonial education system remained half-baked. “Yaadein”, led by Ratna Pathak Shah who revisits a home long lost and not to be found again, was far better organised, both in terms of space management and light operations. Shah, supported by Pahwa, excelled.
Makarand Deshpande, always open to fresh ideas and innovations, was walking along the ground-floor art gallery at KCC with a few others when this reviewer walked into the amphitheatre and settled in with a hundred others. Minutes later, Deshpande made an attractive entry from the upper entrance, taking all our attention towards his impressive stage persona. Piyakkad (picture, bottom), the play, however, lacked punch and turned out to be a platform for someone who loves to drink but never gets drunk. This solo act packs Deshpande’s satiric intent in parts and displays his histrionic abilities, including impromptu gigs and simulated conversations with the audience, keeping them glued all along. Outstanding performance, no doubt, but, given Deshpande’s past credentials, Piyakkad was a below-par effort.
It was Jyoti Dogra’s solo act — Maas (picture, top) — which stole the thunder. Dogra has come a long way since her Notes on Chai days. Her devised acts are more intense these days — both in terms of subject and treatment. In Maas, she takes a personal journey down memory lane, touching upon issues related to the female form and the changing perceptions about body and beauty. Although she maintained the personal note, the anxieties and the emotions she shared soon turned into a commentary on an urban Indian woman’s way with the world around. Dogra’s effortless movement across the performance arena, which doubles as her changing room, and her ability to create an immersive space made Maas an experience of a lifetime.