Double Deal Reloaded, in association with t2, directed by Mahesh Dattani and presented by Centre Stage Creations, starts simply enough, with a chance encounter between strangers Rhea (played by Manjari Fadnis) and Jeet (played by Bharat Dabholkar) at the grocery store. Having lost her wallet, Rhea is in a fix when she has to pay her bill, but Jeet very graciously comes to her rescue, and pays for her. In reciprocation of this kind gesture, Rhea offers to drop Jeet off at his Madh Island residence, since it was raining. 

Upon reaching his home, Jeet asks Rhea to come up for a drink and she obliges. What follows are some subtle, and other more blatant moments of flirtation, while Jeet gets Rhea to open up about her life. 

Jeet reveals that he’s been living alone for 10 years, has never been married, and doesn’t have a girlfriend. Rhea, on the contrary, is married to Rajneesh, and is mother to a young girl named Simran.

Meanwhile, Jeet persistently tries to resist Rhea’s incessant probing into his life, while not being too successful in resisting her charms. 

Soon enough the audience finds out that things aren’t really what they appear to be and neither of the two characters on stage have been entirely honest with each other, or with us. For all their lies, and attempts at cover-ups and deception, it is revealed that the two of them are connected to each other through their past. 

The way the narrative subsequently unfolds, keeps the audience guessing till the very end of the play, and it is an ending that leaves us surprised.

The set is aesthetically designed, especially in terms of colour composition. The cream cupboards, alongside Rhea’s bright red outfit are pleasing to the eye, against the backdrop of the white curtains and grey walls. The lighting sets the mood for every twist in the story. 

Text: Puja Basu
Pictures: Rashbehari Das