18 June,2017 11:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Nasrin Modak-Siddiqi
What do stories written in the last century have to do with today's world? Watch 2chiyaape to join the dots
In the 1970s and 80s, famous Hindi writer Harishankar Parsai wrote a series of short stories. These satires were his way of protesting against the then duality in society. "A conscious writer like Parsainji couldn't sit silently, watching our society cripple. Things aren't any different today. In fact, his stories are even more relevant now," says Nand Ram Aanand, director of the Hindi play 2chiyaape, which has been adapted from Parsai's stories and will be staged today.
The Hindi play comprises two short satires.
The first 35 minute-long act, Ek Ladki Paanch Deewane, is a hilarious tale of five men trying to woo a girl from a basti, which in turn makes her more clever and cunning. The second, Ek Zordaar Ladke Ki Kahani, is the story of a man, who wants to fall in love, but is reluctant to commit to marriage. This one is enacted by Devendra Mishra.
The title of the play is inspired from a cuss word, which basically means, 'what the hell?'. "Even when we give good advice to people, they turn around and say 'what the hell, go mind your business'. No one likes the truth, but we'll continue to show them the mirror," he explains.
The play involves simple storytelling with dramatic narration and movements. "There were no hurdles preparing for this play because we got committed theatre actors to perform. We met for a couple of readings, they memorised and now, we are here. The whole process took almost one-and-a-half months," informs Aanand.
