Couple Trouble, a comic satire on men and changing values of marriage in modern times opened the Summer Theatre Festival on 22 June with a laugh riot that left the audience asking for more.
Directed by Vikas Bahari, and based on a Marathi play Ankh Micholi, Couple Trouble was a comic take on everyday frustrations of men who feel trapped in a marriage.
Originally written by CP Deshpande, the adult comedy is a depiction of the sexual fantasies of such men and aims at exposing their double standards while exploring the changing values of marital relationships in modern times. The play tickled the funny bone of many.
The love story of Priyamwada (Portia) and Basant (Bassanio) unfolded in a unique Indian avatar in the capital today in an Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare’s masterpiece Merchant of Venice.
A presentation of The Films and Theater Society, Saudagar, was launched at the Shri Ram Centre Auditorium today on the second day (21 June) of the three-day Summer Theatre Festival.
Directed by Atul Satya Koushik, the play recreates Portia and Bassanio’s love story in the Indian heartland albeit with quintessential Shakespearian moods on stage. After all it is an Indian adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
‘Adapting a William Shakespeare play is not easy at all. Every word written by him is a responsibility on you as it demands justice. If he chose to write a word, there has to be a reason behind it. In this adaptation, my constant endeavor was to keep the Shakespeare alive in every word that I write, every song that I play, and every emotion that I arise in my audience ‘, says Koushik.
The play is garnished with light hearted jokes peculiar of Rajasthani life-style and hummable and rustic folk music along with the royal Rajputani feel to the entire grandeur.
The play had a rich background score and beautiful costumes designed by famous celebrity designer Mumtaz Khan in Bhopal.
Staged on the last day of the festival (22 June),Wo Lahore recreated the tragic devastation of India’s partition through the story of a family based in Lahore.
Directed by Atul Satya Koushik, Wo Lahore was a musical drama set in the middle of twentieth century India.
The play was a story of an ordinary woman Jamuna, a mother of three sons, who tries to keep her family intact amid everything that is happening around.
Full of Indian music, the play turned out to be an emotional roller coaster for the audience on the last day of the festival presented by the Films and Theatre Society.
From an adult comedy, to an Indian adaptation of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, the festival featured a wide range of stories and productions over the three-days that was loved and appreciated by all. It came as a treat for the viewers.