15 January,2009 08:59 AM IST | | Aastha Atray Banan
Dilshad Edibam enacts a scene as young Gulab
Director Akarsh Khurana's Afsaneh: Bai Se Biscope Tak is reintroducing the nautanki format to the city. Aastha Atray Banan got a preview
The rehearsal room is quiet till a loud, melodious voice breaks the silence. "Sipahiyaau00e2u0080u00a6", croons the singer, and three lissome girls start dancing, their expressions blending perfectly with the naughty lyrics. When the next group of dancers takes the stage, you notice a subtle difference. They are more subdued, and their movements just a bit more classic. That's because the former was a form of folk dance, while the latter Kathak. But this is not about a dance performance. It's about a play, which is bringing back the age-old form of nautanki and baithak and is called, Afsaneh: Bai Se Bioscope Tak.
The story centers around two characters, Gulab Bai and Beni Bai. While Gulab danced for the masses, at the other end of the spectrum, Beni Bai catered to the elite, with the more refined baithak style. Even though they propounded a similar art form, their lifestyles and audiences differed, but somehow, a mutual respect existed.
And now, they are old, and are reflecting on the glory of their past life. And though they didn't know each other, the play helps them exists in a surreal space where they sit and talk about their experiences. "It was but obvious that we had to use the nautanki format because this is true story of two dancers. And what better way to show it, then with singing and dancing," says Purva Naresh, the writer of the play. The Kathak dancer, who also plays the character of young Beni Bai, styled the character after her own grandmother, who was a dancer. And her script has succeeded in drawing the crowds at all their shows last year. "We almost performed 100 shows last year, and the one that got the best reviews was Afsaneh...." says Akarsh Khurana, the director.
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"The narrative is very powerful.u00a0 The audiences also enjoyed it because it's so different in format," he adds.
Yes, it does capture your attention, with the kathak, the music (songs sung and composed by Megha Sriram) and the spirited cast. "I had to learn how to speak chaste Urdu. That was tough, because I usually speak pukka Bambaiya," laughs Trishala Patel, who plays older Beni.
In many ways, Afsaneh reminds you of an old Bollywood pot-boiler, replete with the rogue Angrez, dancers, and the mirch-masala that go with that. Isn't that a sure-fire recipe for a blockbuster?
Afsaneh: Bai Se Bioscope Tak is on at Karnataka Sangh, Matunga (W), on January 15, at 7.30 pm,
and at Prithvi Theatre, on January 16, at 7 pm and 9.30 pm.
