A hell of a reunion

(Clockwise) A still from Admission starring Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Kunaal Roy Kapur and Noah Luce

In the past year, most of us have been part of at least one - lucky, if not many - college or school Zoom reunion that, as funnyman Anuvab Pal puts it, "starts off well, but eventually goes to hell". It's all nostalgia-laced at the start, quickly turning into a drag. After surviving some of these painful calls, Pal decided to write the play, Admission, that's airing in India this weekend. Directed by Rohan Sippy, it stars actors Tillotama Shome, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Noah Luce and Rasika Dugal, and is produced by Mumbai's Rage Productions and US-based EnActe Arts.

Vinita Sud Belani, artistic director, EnActe Arts, a theatre company that addresses South Asian stories and themes, shares that Admission is part of their collaboration with Rage Productions to support 100 artistes. "Anuvab connected us with Rage last year. At the time, Shernaz [Patel, co-founder, Rage] told us how there was just no work for theatre-makers in India during the lockdown. So, we decided to collaborate on a festival and sent out a call for online plays that reflect the times that we're living in. We requested Anuvab to write one, too," she tells us.

Vinita Sud Belani

The virtual play revolves around four friends who went to college together in the US, and decide to catch up on Zoom amid the pandemic. "Because most of us have been on these reunion calls, people can connect with it. These four - Dr Soham Sengupta, Ben Miller, Tara Kriplani and Maya Nandi - haven't spoken in 20 years. So, they connect over a series of Zoom calls every month. They don't particularly like each other, but tag along because of their shared past," Belani reveals.

The characters are what set the story apart, she adds; each one interestingly flawed, having made unconventional choices in life. Ben, for instance, is an American professor who's gay. Soham, an economist who works with the government and may or may not be gay, is named in a CBI probe. "There's Maya who hasn't made it big in Bollywood, and people think she's a loser. Finally, there's Tara, who decided that the best way to live life is to marry for money. Her husband gets caught in a money-laundering scam, and she's trying to keep up the facade that all is well. She's the instigator of all the angst that comes out in the play," the producer explains.

Belani jokes that watching the play is like eavesdropping on a salacious, private conversation. And through Pal's acerbic wit and searing humour, themes such as corporate greed, LGBTQiA+ issues, family problems and artistic choices play out. "Anuvab has done a brilliant job of weaving in a lot of contemporary issues in India, like the COVID-19 journey, bank scams, the changing political scenario, and the very real fear that Big Brother is starting to watch you," she notes.

Luce, who plays Ben, reiterates that the characters explore the complexities of what it is to be human: "In one moment, the character is chummy within the group and in the next, blackmailing their friend. But sometimes, it is what has been left unsaid, that is compelling to play as the actor." Shome, who's essaying the role of Tara, shares that working on the play has been the silver lining to her day. "I got to play a character who is rich and sweetly obnoxious. What a refreshing change," she tells us, while Dugal (Maya) says that the play provided the comedy that they all needed in the tense months of April-May. "I've always enjoyed the absurdities of Anuvab's stories. And Rohan gives it the direction it needs. I enjoyed working with this writer-director duo while exploring the limitations, and freedom, of doing a play on Zoom," she signs off.

On: July 31 and August 1, 6.30 pm
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 199 onwards