The play “Welcome Zindagi”, which was presented by Aakar Kala Sangam at Sammukh auditorium of National School of Drama this past week, does not reveal any grand narrative with multi-dimensional characters in conflict to establish universal truth. It projects the everyday dreary life of the three members — the father, son and mother — of a lower middle class family in a metropolitan. They struggle to rise in social ladder. Dissatisfaction with their lot is their only motivation for struggle. Playwright Saumya Joshi has transformed the dreary world of these ordinary people into a lively and heart-warming theatrical art. This is the fine example of art which is inspired by life and through creativity makes it richer, vibrant and beautiful.
A Gujarati poet, playwright and theatre personality, Saumya’s “Welcome Zindagi” has received remarkable success as a professional theatrical piece, especially in Mumbai. Thanks to young actor Rahil Bhardwaj, a Delhi boy making his mark on the Gujarati stage as an actor, we have the translation of the play in Hindi. Arguably, this is first Hindi version of the Gujarati play. In fact, because of the trend of so-called “devised” play and “Kahani Ka Rangmanch”, we are watching very few meaningful contemporary regional plays in Delhi. Till the late 80s, plays written in regional languages had been translated into Hindi. The works of playwrights like Vijay Tendulkar, P. L. Deshpande, Satish Alekar, Jaywant Dalvi, G.P. Deshpande, Chandrasekhar Kambar, Girish Karnad, Badal Sircar, Utpal Dutt and Mohit Chattopadhyaya were a source of fascination for theatre practitioners in the Hindi region and watched by the audience with great admiration. It is interesting to know that Adya Rangacharya’s Kannada play “Kelu Janamejaya” which was published in 1960 catapulted to national fame when its Hindi translation as “Suno Janamejaya” was produced by students of National school of Drama in 1965. Because of its eminence, “Suno Janamejaya” was featured at Nehru Shatabdi Natya Samaroh in 1989 under the direction of B. M. Shah.
Rajinder Nath and his group Abhiyan have deep-rooted commitment to stage only Hindi plays and Hindi translations of regional plays which has enriched Hindi theatre and dramaturgy, bringing theatre practitioners of the country to share their creative experiences and to get mutually benefited. Now that after years of gap we have a latest Gujarati play in Hindi being staged by an important group, we hope we shall watch more Hindi versions of the latest play being written in different states of the country in their languages.
The play under review is directed by Suresh Bhardwaj, senior faculty member of NSD and recipient of several prestigious awards, including Sangeet Natak Akademi award for his contribution to enrich contemporary Indian theatre as director. After watching Bhardwaj’s theatre for over a period of several decades, one observes that his forte is a theatre with minimal characters. He handles these characters with remarkable finesse, imparting a deep insight into their inner world. Most of these productions are slick, evoking nostalgic feelings about past, sweet and bitter. To this reviewer one of his memorable production is “Old World” written by Soviet writer Aleksei Arbuzov with two characters. This is a play about autumnal love between a doctor and his patient. Opening with a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, the production tries to capture Chekhovian rhythm, pensive and wistful leading to almost imperceptive flowering of affection, a new hope to live. Ramesh Manchanda as the ageing doctor and Dakshina Sharma as the aged patient with queer habits and a heart scarred by unkind fate give memorable performances.
One discerns the same restraint and sensitive artistry in Bhardwaj’s production of “Welcome Zindagi” which opens with a dialogue which tells as about retirement from service, a common phenomenon in the life of urban middle class. It strikes immediacy with the audience. After serving for years strictly following a set of routine pattern, one is asked to stop attending office after attaining certain age prescribed for retirement. Bhanu Ganatra, the wife of Arun Ganatra, tells us all about her husband, evoking a lively atmosphere.
Her husband comes on the scene after doing hard work at his office. A nobody, by dint of hard work he has reached to the post of head clerk. He tells his wife the names of the bosses he had worked with them with a sense of awe as well as of pride. Now the hour has arrived when he will bid farewell to his office. Their son Vivek has done his MBA and wants to become a partner with his friend who belongs to a rich business family. The son needs six lakhs to invest in the proposed project as his share money as the partner. He wishes his father to pay him this amount. The father has his own reservation about the attitude of the rich towards middle class. The son argues that his friend has great respect for him and treats him on equal terms. The mutual misunderstanding between the son and father keeps on simmering. Reluctantly, he signs the cheque for Rs.Six lakhs but the son has changed his mind.
There is no overt conflict between the son and father. Their problem is that they find it hard to communicate with each other with open heart. The son wants his mother to talk with the father on his behalf to communicate to him his inner thought. The mother remains neutral, wishing son and father to communicate in a frank and cordial atmosphere. The simple narrative has two strands — the son needs money to become business partner and father is preoccupied with the thought of his approaching retirement. The mother understands both and has a great deal of empathy for both. She is aware of the fact that both from the bottom of their hearts love each other. The father has spent his whole life in struggle which has made him stern and reserved. The son has a whole new world before him. The wall that stands between the father and son finally dissolves in the climactic scene with dramatic intensity, uniting the father and son.
There are no flashback scenes to depict the past of the father and his relations with his own father which are conveyed through dialogue in a way that is engrossing. The director has designed the production within the limited space of Sammukh auditorium to ensure flow of the action. He has created a frame which suggests window in the kitchen from which the wife peeps to watch the interactions between the father and son marred by uneasy pauses and tension. The production offers the audience moments ranging from gentle warmth, and anxiety, and relief, sustaining its inward pace.
All the three performers are graduates from National School of Drama who impress the audience with the consummate artistry of their creativity. Ramesh Manchanda as Arun Ganatra truly lives his character. His Ganatra is emotionally preoccupied with his retirement party, special dress is bought for him, spends several days in writing his farewell speech. Ironically, because of heavy rain, the much awaited party is cancelled. A distraught Ganatra reads out his proposed speech to his wife in a emotionally charged voice. Anju Jaitley as Bhanu Ganatra subtlety paints the portrait of a sympathetic wife and a worried mother. Vivek Ram Kanaujia as Vivek Ganatra, son of Arun and Bhanu, sustains the intensity of his performance, bringing his deep love for his father to the fore in the climactic scene with telling effect.
