Theatre fest at IIT B

It was play time at iit with
the 2nd iit mumbai theater fest starting the day before yesterday. My expectations were moderate as we went in for the plays on the first day of the fest.

Day1 had three plays.It started with a 15 minute solo performance called "Kutte" by Pramod Pathak.He plays a man totally frustrated by dogs and goes on to describe their various kinds.So you have the "tapasvi" types who sleep on the stairs and when someone tries to shove them away mange to lift themselves up to a feet or two further and then continue with their meditation,and then you have the "shayar" types who send out a long squeak in the middle of midnight and other dogs from various corners appreciate with the "Waah waahs".It was funny actions and funny barkings all the way.

Then there was "Bade bhaisahab" from Munshi Premchand.Frankly I had presumed that it would be sad-type play but it turned out to be a laugh riot.Romi Jaspal and Girish Jain play two brothers studying at a hostel,one five years elder to the other but academically only 3 years ahead.The elder brother is studious and buried in books while the younger is to be mostly found on the playground.The elder scolds the younger every time he sees him not studying,and the younger cant utter a word in front of him.But it so happens that the elder fails in his exams yet again and the younger comes first in his class.The elder gets mad at the younger and starts telling him how difficult the subjects of his standard are.And here starts all the fun.He questions algebra ("Angle ABC aur ACB mein kya antar hai?Agar maine roti daal bhaat khaya ya fir roti bhaat daal kkaaya toh bhi baat toh ek hi hui").He questions history ("pata hai dus tereh ke henry hain aur terah tarah ke charles , ab kaun sa yudh kaun se henry ke waqt hua yeh bhala kaise yaad rakha jaaye").He questions essay-writing ("Ab 'samay ka sadupyog' is par 4 pannon ka nibandh kaise likha jaaye.Samay ka sadupyog karna chahiye aur yeh ek acchi baat hai.bas doh lines hi kaafi hain.Ab is par 4 fullscape panne rangna khud hi samay ka durupyog hai")...

The last one was the most hilarious."Mahroom ki yaad mein" (which at first I read as "Mushroom ki yaad mein") was all about how a friend manages to sell his old bicycle to this guy (Pramod Pathak again) who dreams about seeing the entire town on his new possession.But as he starts using it,he finds each "purja" is "dheela-dhaala" and starts breaking on its way.The best part is as he explains his ride, his "naukar" inacts his situation on the bicycle (with the bicycle being imaginary which made it all the more funny).SO at first the back wheel starts shaking sideways,then the right handle bends,then the seat comes down.....and finally the bicycle rides on him rather than the other way round...

Day 2 had a more serious play..."Ilhaam" (literally means revelation), about a middle aged man who starts behaving in a strange manner.Starts playing with children who don't exist,talking to birds and dancing on music which nobody can hear.It was creepy at times and the lighting effects were great.Frankly some parts were a bit difficult to understand ;).But few dialogues were phenomenal,one of them being..."Maine us hatash vyaqti ki taraf apna haath badhaya.Main us vyaqti ko nahi jaanta tha,par uski hatasha ko jaanta tha.Us vyqti ne mera badhe huey haath thama .Woh vyqti mujhe nahi jaanta tha,mere haath badhane ko jaanta tha.Hum donon saath chalne lage,hum ek doosre ko nahi jaante the,par saath chalne ko jaante the." It was nicely performed with patches of laughter scattered in between...

Nicely organised by the IIT guys,though we dint get the chai and biscuits on day 2 promised on day 1. :P