A new play depicts the experience of a person after losing his family

A new play to be staged in Mumbai takes that challenge of finding humour in an unusual setting — a funeral

It is said that if you look closely and write accurately, there is humour in everything. And in the legacy of writing, nothing has remained beyond the scope of wit; be it humour of resistance, satire or just plain juxtaposition of situations that make you laugh. A new play to be staged in the city takes that challenge of finding humour in an unusual setting — a funeral.

Varun Kulkarni during a previous performance

“Death by itself is not funny but the world we live in is such that the situation around death and loss can sometimes make you laugh, albeit with a sigh,” says Varun Kulkarni of New Ensemble, a group that is staging the play Shamshaan Main Khada Bevkoof this week. That it will be performed on Halloween, though is completely coincidental, he says.

The play is a dark comedy and depicts a man’s journey from childhood. He loses his parents in quick succession which plays tricks with his views about life. Kulkarni says, “In this plot, we try to find humour through ironies. The way the world reacts, the way things change, how people care and don’t and those who pretend to care.”

Kulkarni, who also wrote the play, will be playing eight characters. A lawyer by qualification, he is now a full-time actor with the group.

He says he was drawn to this challenging format a few years ago after he saw the Marathi play, Warhad Nighalay Londonla, where one man performs several roles. Later, Einstein by Naseeruddin Shah inspired him. “I was quite moved by the plays and had wanted to do a one-actor play. Shamshaan is set in a funeral scene and it is natural for the stage to be populated with people, so this really worked,” he says.

But whether the idea works with the audience remains to be seen, as this will be the first show. “The audience may find the concept abstract, but I am confident that it will leave them with some food for thought.”

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