Comic fantasy weaves magic

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We all blindly fawn over the proverbial saying, “The grass is greener on the other side”. I mean who doesn’t? We all pray at some point of time or the other in our lives that wish “this was that” or “that was this” and wait for the one desirable winning streak to turn tables in our favour. We desperately cling onto certain make-believe notions and start spinning a yarn of dreams around it.

We seldom weigh our thoughts to prudently assess that it might just not be the case which we precisely wanted, had we been in other people’s shoes. The bubble may burst anytime. But shallow minds lack such introspective powers. They defy logic and simply refuse to understand the opposite outcome of a role-reversal. Cynics may frown at such baseless ideas and outrightly trash them as inane stupidity. But isn’t the unachievable keeps us ticking all the time to reach the set target in our business? Isn’t the unthinkable drives us crazy to act on an impulse. For we always crave for what we could never conquer. And that’s a human distinct. What say?
Based on this tempting provocation, Kolkata’s well-reckoned theatre troupe Proscenium, in its latest production Yadi Ek Bar Phir Se, not only excites laughter through a graph of ludicrous actions and situations developed in the play, but also jolts a day-dreaming conscience out of its reverie. Written by one of India’s master dramatists — the trailblazer of third theatre — Badal Sircar, this romantic comedy reserves some deep thoughtful analysis alongside peals of grins. Designed within a comic premise, Yadi Ek Bar Phir Se is already declared a hit by avid theatre lovers. Recently the play was showcased at Kolkata’s one of the distinguished stages — Gyan Manch.
A man dissatisfied in his own situation invariably ends up envying another, but if circumstances alter their positions, he remains as frustrated and disgruntled even in his new avatar. This forms the crux of the story which runs in this lyrical comedy on the perennial, peculiar human trait of always believing that “the grass is greener on the other side”.
The scenario of the play in concern is a fictitious seaside resort, situated on the serene outskirts of a busy metropolis, far from the hustle-bustle and its maddening din.
The characters are drawn from among the guests and staff of the holiday resort. The inaugural scenes open up with a bevy of couples holding hands of one another. But the resort manager enters like a puppeteer and swaps the spouses by detaching their hands and joining the same with different partners. He pretends to have an invisible string in his hands to reign over the mute dolls who seem lifeless but at his ready disposal to dance to his tunes. The overall canvas also bears an uncanny resemblance to a shop wherein the owner or a keeper walks in to brush aside the settling dust from the mannequins’ surface and fix up the minute defects and disarray if any, to put things back in order. A perfect romantic setting for desires, longing, cravings and frustrations to crawl up to the fore, this entertaining drama is one hilarious romantic comedy, shrouded in a realm of coloured fantasy.
The light design by Joy Sen is a special treat to the eyes. No wonder the skilled craft runs in his genes, as it shows in his dexterity. To the uninitiated, Sen is the son of the late veteran light designer Tapas Sen, one of the great leading light artistes of India. An emerging talent no doubt, Sen leaves his unequivocal signature touch in his works like his father did in his days. While direction is accredited to the reputed helmsman Sheo Kumar Jhunjhunwala who also doubles up as the art director here, the credit for the text’s Hindi translation goes to the scriptwriter, Dr Pratibha Agarwal.
With well-defined characters and humorous dialogues to boot in the play, it should have prospered flawlessly. But before touching the finishing line successfully, the dialogue-delivery played a sporadic spoiler. Care ought be taken to rectify this erroneous area, where actors often faltered for words or mispronounced them. But being natural performers and a seasoned pro, they ironed out the creases almost immediately without much of a stutter. Slip-ups do happen, but to tackle them confidently sans a nervous goof-up is the mark of a true professional.
The resort manager, Satyasindhu, strikes a deal with the much talked about mythical buddha jinn (construed as an old, devoted messenger of God) to change the destinies of discontented souls only to find themselves more depressed and complaining incessantly. When all are hammered out of their fantasies, they realise that the real charm of life lies in being happy always.
And never to worry or crib over non-issues. Even if there are adversities on the way, just face them with dignity and integrity. It’s better to think positive than die a slow death like a coward every day.
If any of you happens to be in Kolkata, this Sunday March 25, then do make an effort to drop in at Gyan Manch to catch its third show at 6 pm. The curtain calls!
The buddha jinn keeps his promise to magically intervene into the lives of housemates to resume calm, composure, decorum and stability at the resort as the in-house atmosphere threatened to poison the tranquillity of the sandy beach retreat. The cast comprises of an impressive line-up of talented actors like senior artiste Ramgopal Bagla whose ever-smiling, scheming and cheerful disposition earns him some rousing applause. His dancing steps and limerick chants with the buddha jinn (with whom he has a nexus to monitor the housemates’ circumstances) under a dimmed blue light conjures up an ethereal sight on the stage. Other performers too lent justice to their parts.
The back-projection of a dawning sunrise or a roaring rough sea were a delight to watch for the captive audience in a closed ambience. If any of you reading this piece happens to be in Kolkata, this Sunday March 25, then do make an effort to drop in at Gyan Manch to catch its third show at 6 pm. The curtain calls!