As far as Delhi’s audiences are concerned, Sunil Shanbag’s production of “Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon”, which was presented by Arpana, Mumbai under the auspices of Aadyam at Kamani auditorium in New Delhi this past week saw Sunil in a different avatar. In the past, his productions, featured at different editions of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, offered telling comments on the prevailing socio-political dichotomy in India.
His production of “Cotton 56, Polyestar 84” is a devastating recreation of naked exploitation of Mumbai’s textile workers against the backdrop of nefarious design of the ruling class. His more recent work “Club Desire” is a recreation of French Opera Carmen in the context of artists of Mumbai night club. These productions leave a deeply disturbing impact on the audience. In contrast, “Mere Piya…” is a fairy tale-like love story with a happy ending. It has elegant costumes, lyrics set to mellow tunes. An atmosphere of elegance, liveliness and buoyancy prevails throughout the show. Its form based on the popular traditional Bhangwadi theatre of Gujarat, enhances the visual and aural appeal of the production. We leave theatre in an excitingly joyous mood.
It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well” by Mihar Bhuta. Retaining the basic structure and plotline of the original intact, Bhuta has set his action in Saurashtra in the year 1900 which witnessed the rapid rise of Gujarati merchant community, extending their trade to different parts of the world. Helena, the protagonist, becomes Heli in the Gujarati version and her Prince Charmer Bertram is changed to Bharatram. Rao Bahadur Gokaldas Sawaram Bhatia, owner of vast business empire, replaces King of France. The social and cultural ambience of Europe is transformed into authentic Gujarati culture of highly affluent trading community.
This is how Mihir has imaginatively invested his adapted version with typical characteristics of Indian ethos. This undeniably proves the universal appeal of Shakespeare’s works and their adaptability to different cultures and ages. Mihir has captured this greatness of Shakespeare which reflects in his adaptation.
In fact, Sunil was invited by Shakespeare Globe Theatre London in 2012 to produce “All’s Well That Ends Well” in Gujarati adaptation.
The production under review is the Hindi translation from Gujarati. The play opens in the house of a rich family headed by Kunti Bhabhi, a widow, who lives in the palatial house with her son and her adopted daughter Heli.
The son, Bharatram is full of excitement to leave his village and meet his maternal uncle Rao Bahadur Gokuldas Sawaram Bhatia, a super-rich business magnate in Mumbai. The young man has great dreams and is impetuous to visit places all over the world. His uncle has his own plans. He is suffering from chronic illness, is old and wants to make his nephew his heir to look after his vast empire. In deep love, Heli follows Bharatram. She cures the hopelessly ill uncle. Pleased with her, the uncle marries her with his nephew forcibly. Egotistical and blind to the deep love of Heli for him, Bharatram refuses disdainfully to consume his marriage with Heli and leaves for foreign countries.
Smitten with Bharatram, Heli follows him in disguise. To her shock, she discovers that her beloved is infatuated by a virgin foreign Princess. At this point, the straightforward narrative acquires complication, offering the two young women the opportunity to form a bond, inventing a plot to enable Heli to achieve what is most dear to her heart.
The sets are imaginatively designed by Nayantara Kotian with appropriate backdrop for the action. The opening locale is established with the projection of a beautifully painted double-storey building in a rural milieu.
Then the action shifts to Mumbai which is realistically shown with a fleet of ships on the sea in the distance. The foreign locale is projected with the projection of exotic situations and the costumes.
Using minimal properties, the exit and entry are innovatively provided to ensure uninterrupted flow of action.
The highlight of the production is the synthesis between the form and content. To be in tune with the form, the performers sing beautifully as well as act, the transition between their roles as singer and actor is seamless.
Most of the action takes place down stage which establishes lively rapport between the audience and performers. Sunil has evolved a device to transcend the barrier of the time and space in the scene where Heli treats Rao Bahadur for nine days. It is fun to watch this scene.
The production is superbly cast with mature actor-singers. Utkarsh Mazumdar as Rao Bahadur Gokuldas creates a wonderful portrait of an owner of a business empire who is aware of immense wealth and the power that naturally comes with it. But at the same time he has remarkable sense of humour which sparkles in almost all the scenes he appears. Delhi’s audience had already seen the mature acting prowess of Utakarsh when Nadira Babbar brought her productions to Delhi.
Meenal Patel as the mother of Bharatram, Pratik Gandhi as Bharatram, Ketaki Thatte as the charming, wise and bold Heli, Avantika Ganguly as exquisitely beautiful Burmese Princess, Ajay Jayaram as Gokuldas’ personal domestic servant, Hitesh Malukani as Laffabha, the narrator and Satchit Puranik as Prabat Maharaj, who has an ulterior motive to prosper at the cost of Bharatram, create admirable portraits.
