Naseeruddin Shah, co-founder of Motley theatre, and 3 key players make sense of how they've managed to survive 30 years
Naseeruddin Shah, co-founder of Motley theatre, and 3 key players make sense of how they've managed to survive 30 years
They've had a steady run on stage for three decades, but they are modest to admit they weren't born geniuses. They share anecdotes readily, like the one where a tangdi kebab was accidentally left behind in a costume box along with Estragon's clothes (a character from Waiting for Godot), to be discovered years later.
This month, theatre group Motley begin their anniversary celebrations as they revive and revisit old plays, and open two new plays, Dastangoi and Ismat Apa Ke Naam II. We got founder member Benjamin Gilani, driving force Ratna Pathak-Shah, and loyal friend Akash Khurana to look back at the 3-decade run.
ADVERTISEMENT
What were the initial years like?
Benjamin: We weren't trying to make a place for ourselves. It was just something Naseer and I wanted to do. We started on a wing and a prayer. We had no idea whether anybody would come to see our plays.
Ratna: The early years were also very lazily productive. Everything took a long time to happen. You did one show of Godot, and the next, six months later. They would rehearse a lot but the opportunity to perform came sporadically. There was no plan. And without a plan, we've managed for 30 years.
Akash: I'm fortunate that I was on the wrong side of the fence 30 years ago, but I was part of the play because I was sitting in the first row, watching Godot.
You guys seem to have an obsessive love for Waiting For Godot. Has the production changed over the years?
R: With Godot, it's got complicated and elaborate because it has been with us for 30 years. That is why we keep plays alive for very long; at least, three to four years.
A: Or we revive plays. Like Caine Mutiny is being revivedu2026
R:...And there is a great deal of learning when we come back to a play. You've grown in the meanwhile, your understanding of life and theatre and job as an actor has deepened. So, you bring all that to the next revival. (Asking Benji) We are probably the only group doing this na?
B: Nobody. I can't think of any other group or in fact, any other actor who has been doing the same thing for 30 years. Godot is an obvious example, but there's even Dear Liar, which started off in 1992. That's 17 yearsu2026my god!
R: And we are not doing it every night. So the play is still fresh for you. We don't have the same skills as actors on West End, who perform the same show night-after-night. 
u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 
Benjamin Gilani, Naseeruddin Shah, Akash Khurana and Randeep Hooda in Waiting for Godot
You have performed in varied spaces, even a Methodist Church. Colleges and schools seem pretty normal then.
B: The Methodist Church performance happened because the pastor at the time, Rev Fred Wray, was a Godot-bhakt. He used to come and see every show.
R: ...And he came over a period of 15 years. We would do two shows in six years, and three shows four years later, and he'd be there.
B: What he suggested was fantastic. He said we should not just perform, but do it in place of a sermon. It was the most incredible experience because a two-and-a-half-hour sermon is impossible to imagine, but nobody walked out of the performance.u00a0
B: Naseer hit the nail on the head when he said, 'You must not try and understand it (Godot). You must not try to react to it, just respond to it.' It's like being in the sea. When you fight against the waves, you get tired. But when you let go, you enjoy it.
I believe, cricket and theatre are the group's passion. How important is it for a member to know his cricket?
A: All things constant, you get favourable treatment. But if you are a lousy actor and you want to mess around, then stay away.
R: Don't stay away. You can come and do backstage for us (laughs).
B: I'm having visions of IPL guys coming to join us at Motley.
Motley is known to work on plays that turn into cult productions.
I'm careful not to think of ourselves like that. But I'd say we have a niche following. We have not considered whether these plays will work at the box office or not. We've done plays with just 10 people in the audience. As Dubeyji (Satyadev) says, "Hum theatre isliye karte hain kyunki hamein khujli hoti hai. Aur jisko khujli hoti hai, woh aake dekhle." So, there's no other reason.
How about working on an original script?
We've done it once. There was a play called Romance for Ruby, written by Aroona Dixit. But original scripts are few and far between. Most are terribly immature. The craft of playwrighting has not caught fire in India. I hope that youngsters who are writing today persevere because they are due for heartbreak. They write these things with such love and affection, but nobody stages them.
Schedule
>>Dastangoi (Urdu). On July 14
>>The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (English). On July 15, and 16
>>Ismat Apa Ke Naam II (Hindustani). On July 17, 18
>>All Thieves (Hindi/English). On July 19
>>Katha Collage I (Hindustani). On July 21, and 22
>>Ismat Apa Ke Naam I (Hindustani). On July 23, 24
>>Waiting For Godot (English). On July 25, and 26
At: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu.
Time: 6 pm and 9 pm.
Call: 26149546
Tickets: Rs 200
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
