Director Melly Still talks about adapting for the Indian stage, cultural connotations, food and Mumbai. Excerpts from an interview.
Agatha Christie’s classic novel is currently being staged in the city over two weekends in February as part of an NCPA production called The Mirror Crack’d. Adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and re-imagined for India by Ayeesha Menon, it features Sonali Kulkarni, Shernaz Patel, Denzil Smith and Suhaas Ahuja.
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Edited excerpts from an interview with director Melly Still.
Tell us about the process of reimagining Christie and your role in it.
We were looking at re-imagining the novel rather than at a conventional adaptation. We were more interested in the form of retelling and how memory worked, how it is fallible and fluid, and how Agatha Christie uses misdirection to make people remember things in different ways. We were interested in the mischief of her form.
Melly Still
What went behind staging the production here and how do you think the Indian audience will connect with it?
Producer Pádraig Cusack thought it would be a great piece to stage here considering how popular Christie is in India. I travelled here in May and met lots of thespians and asked them, ‘What if we have an Agatha Christie production here, with all the actors pretending they are English?’ It became increasingly interesting to contextualise it. And yet, the heart of the story is very human and we knew that everybody can relate to it. It speaks of loss and forgetting, and loneliness encapsulated by an ageing woman.
How did you narrow in on the cast, writer and its setting in Goa?
I met many writers and decided that Ayeesha [Menon] was the best fit. She was interested in the background of the story and the socio-political setting. Christie is quite canny and prescient in her observations. We would have lots of discussions about it. Goa is a familiar space for Ayeesha and the impact of the hippie movement there is huge. On the other hand, were Bollywood and the whole fluff of glamour. So, we decided to make it about an ageing Bollywood actor. As for the cast, I chose people who were enthusiastic about the story and could communicate the characters at a human level. The actors were also instrumental in shaping the adaptation. I cast the show before Ayeesha adapted it, so the story was shaped based on the cast, a not-so-conscious but rather interesting process.
What were some of your cultural learnings while working on an adaptation set in India?
It took me a while to get used to the fact that if a question is posed or a query comes up, there are multiple voices here. It’s difficult to hear one person at a time. People are also as passionate about the props and costumes as they are about the character, especially what they might eat!
Tell us about some of your other interesting experiences in Mumbai.
I am a lover of art and was blessed to experience the Mumbai Gallery weekend. I run a lot in London and find it hard to do that here, so I walk to get to know the city, rather than take cabs. I practise yoga and have found a great trainer. As for the food, I love pani puri and sambar. I cannot believe the flavours. The cast members took us to Shree Thaker Bhojanalay and that was an incredible experience.
Till February 9, 7.30 pm (no show on February 3) AT Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
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Cost Rs 1,000 onwards
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