24 August,2023 07:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Suprita Mitter
Moments from the rehearsals of Beemar, 365 and Karwat
Under the direction of Vivek Gaur, a team of 20 artistes will perform a set of three plays this weekend. While the stories Beemar and Karwat have been written by Saadat Hasan Manto, 365 is a play written by Pankaj Shresth. "I had read quite a few of Manto's stories, some of which stayed with me, and I felt that they should be staged. Beemar was a comedy and Karwat had a different kind of suspense. Usually, theatre groups perform Thanda Gosht, Boo and Toba Tek Singh, but Karwat is rarely performed. Our group is performing it for the first time, too," says Gaur.
The story of Karwat revolves around a commercial sex worker who moves into a new locality. However, the people in the society are upset about her moving to their neighbourhood. They are disturbed by her clothes and behaviour; the music playing in the house and her being visited by her clientele, among other things. To express their displeasure, they trouble her in different ways, one of which is by leaving garbage outside her house.
Another central character in this play is Miyan ji, an empathetic person who cares for the people around him. One day, he invites the sex worker home to dine with his family. She assumes that he may have been the one to throw the garbage outside her house and insults him and sends him back. The story tracks the turn of events that take place after this sequence.
Beemar is about a man called Kumar who lives in a small town. He is ailing, and hence his friends and relatives decide to pay him a visit. Each visitor is a funny character, and advises him about what he must do to get well. The play takes a comic look at this situation and at how he tries each of the suggested treatments. "Manto's plays are very real. He holds a mirror to the society. Although they have been written a long time ago, his stories are relevant. In a comedy play like Beemar, there are instances where we've added a few current elements to the dialogue to make the punches funnier, but I believe that even if the stories were left as they were, they would still be relatable," Gaur notes.
Saadat Hasan Manto. PIC COURTESY/WIKEMEDIA COMMONS
The third play, 365 is the story of a father and son. The father is ailing with cancer and requests his son to end his suffering. At one point, the father manages to convince his son, and the son is arrested for murdering his father. The story revolves around the son's guilt, the courtroom drama and the final verdict.
On: August 27; 5 pm and 8 pm
At: Creative Adda 191, Aaram Nagar, Part 2, Versova, Andheri West. call 7977925455
Email: gaurvivek8@gmail.com
Cost: Rs 100
