Deadpan about death
Actress Kalki Koechlin is launching her directorial debut, a play that explores death
Debutante director Kalki Koechlin has always been intrigued by death and what comes after that. Right from the age of eight, when she lost her first dog in Ooty, or when she lost her grandparent at the age of 12, Koechlin remembers never being able to understand “where they went”. “I always wondered why I couldn’t go visit them,” Koechlin says.
That’s one of the questions that she is exploring in The Living Room, a conversation between death and an old woman who is about to die, but unwilling to exit the world. Koechlin explores death and loneliness through dry anddeadpan humour. “I find myself worrying about my mum who lives alone (in Puducherry) when she’s not visiting me. What if something happens to her?” she wonders aloud.
Even as she says that it’s been like swimming in the dark, not knowing what lies ahead and improvising as she goes along, she found a mentor in Rajat Kapoor, with whom she has worked in Hamlet: The Clown Prince. His word of advice was letting the actors explore themselves for as long as possible. This was possibly Koechlin’s biggest challenge since she had envisioned her play in a particular manner. “There is a scene in the play, which was initially meant to be a monologue. But the cast felt that it would work better with music and mime,” she says.
As an actor who usually focuses only on her delivery, Koechlin found herself working with set design, costumes and music for the first time. The play, which will travel to other cities, has a simple set design. But particular as she is, she’s got the furniture designed for the production. “As an actor I’ve always depended on my director like how one would depend on a parent, so it’s weird being the parent now. I just focus on my lines and getting details right. But here I have to look into so many different elements.”
Even though it’s a story that is close to her, Koechlin chose not to act in the production. “You need to be out of it to see the whole picture. Neither am I experienced enough to do both,” she adds, modestly.
While one may assume that the theme of the play would mean that it’s meant for a slightly older age group, Koechlin insists that it’s meant for a family. “There’s no violence, only absurdity. My eight-year-old brother is going to be watching it,” she attests.
Written and directed by Kalki Koechlin
Cast: Sheeba Chadha, Neil Bhoopalam, Tariq Vasudeva, Jim Sarabh
Where: Rangashankara, JP Nagar
When: July 26, 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM
Tickets: bookmyshow.com
Debutante director Kalki Koechlin has always been intrigued by death and what comes after that. Right from the age of eight, when she lost her first dog in Ooty, or when she lost her grandparent at the age of 12, Koechlin remembers never being able to understand “where they went”. “I always wondered why I couldn’t go visit them,” Koechlin says.
That’s one of the questions that she is exploring in The Living Room, a conversation between death and an old woman who is about to die, but unwilling to exit the world. Koechlin explores death and loneliness through dry and
She’s brought these thoughts to the stage with her maiden venture. Although she has co-written a play – Skeleton Woman – with Prashant Prakash, she says she had been “procrastinating directing a play for the past two years just because it was a daunting task and unknown territory.” “I wrote this play two years ago, and then got busy with film work, reworked a new draft last year, did readings with actors and finally started this year,” she says.
Even as she says that it’s been like swimming in the dark, not knowing what lies ahead and improvising as she goes along, she found a mentor in Rajat Kapoor, with whom she has worked in Hamlet: The Clown Prince. His word of advice was letting the actors explore themselves for as long as possible. This was possibly Koechlin’s biggest challenge since she had envisioned her play in a particular manner. “There is a scene in the play, which was initially meant to be a monologue. But the cast felt that it would work better with music and mime,” she says.
As an actor who usually focuses only on her delivery, Koechlin found herself working with set design, costumes and music for the first time. The play, which will travel to other cities, has a simple set design. But particular as she is, she’s got the furniture designed for the production. “As an actor I’ve always depended on my director like how one would depend on a parent, so it’s weird being the parent now. I just focus on my lines and getting details right. But here I have to look into so many different elements.”
Even though it’s a story that is close to her, Koechlin chose not to act in the production. “You need to be out of it to see the whole picture. Neither am I experienced enough to do both,” she adds, modestly.
While one may assume that the theme of the play would mean that it’s meant for a slightly older age group, Koechlin insists that it’s meant for a family. “There’s no violence, only absurdity. My eight-year-old brother is going to be watching it,” she attests.
Written and directed by Kalki Koechlin
Cast: Sheeba Chadha, Neil Bhoopalam, Tariq Vasudeva, Jim Sarabh
Where: Rangashankara, JP Nagar
When: July 26, 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM
Tickets: bookmyshow.com
