Dhappa - An ambitious Experiment that goes awry #PicksAndPiques #HindiEnglishTheatrePlayReview #JohnsonThomas #Theatrewala

June 29, 2022

#PicksAndPiques #HindiEnglishTheatrePlayReview #JohnsonThomas #Theatrewala #AumTheatreProduction #NikitaKamdarPR An ambitious experiment that goes awry

Play: Dhappa (Hide & Seek) Genre: Musical mystery Cast: Puneet Issar, Sharon Chandra , Pavitra Sarkar , Anuradha Athlekar Singers & Musicians : Ajitkumar Shrivastava, Amit Ranjan Srivastava, Radha Srivastava. Director/Writer/Producer : Akshay Mishra Rating: * * ½ Runtime : 180 mins

Aum Theatre Production’s musical mystery ‘Dhappa’ Written, produced and directed by Akshay Mishra is an ambitious effort no doubt – set as it is in the 1950’s and influenced by the paranormal mystery films of Waheeda Rehman, Manoj Kumar and Sadhana. But not only that – the play focuses on a developing bond between a failed actor whose disrepute is far more widely publicized than his films or acting prowess and a writer whose idealistic outlook inspires him to make films that do justice to his vision. The narrative goes back and forth into the past and present to elaborate on the tragedies that define the duo’s life and career achievements or lack thereof.

Akshay Mishra definitely had a grand idea and vision to work on but it doesn’t come together as well as he might have hoped. His attempt to recreate an era when films and film songs were the mainstay of entertainment and stars were adored for their onscreen persona, doesn’t come across well enough to be thought-provoking or entertaining.

Kumar, a failed actor who has gained notoriety for his rude and crass behavior, is angling for a role that could take him out of his downward spiral. His sister Irawati has a dancing talent that fuels the imagination of Shyam, the foreign returned writer who wants to create his own kind of cinema. Shyam and Kumar form a fragile friendship but will it last when Kumar learns of Shyam’s obsession for casting Irawati as his leading lady in the film of his dreams?

The 50’s period and the sly allusion to legends of that era are not the mainstay of this enactment though. The construction of the narrative does resemble that of the film as it follows the formulaic pattern employed by Bollywood to tell a story. The acts are interspersed with semi-classical songs lending long pauses to theatrics that fail to cohere into an impactful whole. The songs though beautifully rendered, stretch the play runtime to beyond tedium. The acts themselves - vague and underwritten, are played out in segmented fashion and feel rather disconnected. The personalities embodying the characters - Sharon Chandra as Irawati the dancer/ Shyam’s muse, Pavitra Sarkar as Manju the neglected pregnant wife of the writer Shyam, Anuradha Athlekar as Kumar the failed actor whose notoriety disallows any credible roles from coming his way, do well to stay deliberately muted in order to allow the imposing Puneet Issar as Shyam - the writer to hog the limelight.

It’s all very well to use Puneet Issar as the star attraction but giving him more playtime when Shyam, the character he essays doesn’t merit it, unbalances the entire set-up. An imposing Issar, riding high on his Mahabharata and Ravana success, overshadows everyone else. And that is to the detriment of the entire experience and its affect. Sharon Chandra’s fluent Kathak, Pavitra’s pathos and Athlekar’s despondency lend power and heft to the essay but even so there’s not much cohesion in the enactments.

The pre-interval half is so uneventful that you lose interest in what happens on stage entirely. The post –interval part does throw in a few surprises with some mystique and mystery but even that doesn’t help lift the experience beyond the mundane. The live music and singing are expertly performed but it’s certainly not something you would associate with the lyrical melodies of 50’s cinema. The set design is adequate enough but it’s a background effect that doesn’t do much to sway the experience. Shyam Chavan’s light design is outstanding – lending a ‘Kagaz Ke Phool’ sort of haunting melancholy to the proceedings. Unfortunately, the overall experience is rather fractured – so much so that it fails to create an impact!