When Aladdin and Jasmine rescued India

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

Theatre director Nishil Kamalan has always been curious about Disney's famed character Aladdin, an urchin, who falls in love with Princess Jasmine from the fictional city of Agrabah.

"To me, he seemed nothing short of a superhero. His biggest strength was that he had Genie, the supernatural being, by his side. Together, they could change the world," he says. It's this premise that has inspired Kamalan and writer Reynold D'Sa's new play for children, Aladdin in India and Other Tales. The 30-minute dance-drama is a "shadow act", where the young audience only get to see the silhouettes of the performers, says Kamalan of Ethiros Theatre Group, which is presenting a four-day theatre festival for children at the The Cuckoo Club. What's interesting is that the plot is far removed from the original tale. "The story takes you into three time zones. It opens with an event in the past, where Aladdin and Jasmine visit India, and are entrusted with three wishes [by Genie] that they can use to solve any problem plaguing the country. When they arrive here, and get acquainted with Indian culture, its varied dances, history and people, they realise that the country is not beset with any major problems. The duo then end up splurging 'their wishes' on themselves," says Kamalan. Years later, they, however, learn that India is now fighting deforestation, floods, pollution and is on the brink of a crisis. It's here that the narrative unfolds as Aladdin and Jasmine, played by Kartik Narayan and Diona D'Souza, unleash the inner-Genie to save the world, and secure the country's future. "We hope to make kids more aware of how they can become eco-warriors," he says.

Nishil Kamalan

The play took several weeks to execute as performing a 'shadow act' live can be tricky. "At least 90 per cent of these props are created by the actors themselves," says Kamlalan.

Apart from the shadow act, the group will also be presenting a short puppet show, revisiting two famous tales - Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs. The performance is open for kids ages three and above.

When: September 30, 5 PM
Where: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA, Pali Hill Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 299
To Book: in.bookmyshow.com

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates