When love conquers all
20 Aug 2015 9:05 PM GMT
The title, however, is apt as the characters travel a lot, especially to Rangoon (Myanmar was earlier called Yangon, pronounced as Rangoon by Englishmen and contemporaries). Performed in Kamani auditorium on Sunday, the play revolves around the rich and young Bharatram Bhatia from Rasoda village in Gujarat. Ignorant towards the love of his childhood companion Heli (Ketaki Thatte), an orphan, who is supported by his mother Kunti (Meenal Patel), he leaves his native village to make a fortune by working for his ailing uncle, a powerful merchant in the port city of Mumbai.
As Heli watched Bharatram go, her heart made her follow him to Mumbai where she claimed that she can heal the ailing uncle, with the knowledge of Ayurveda, which was bestowed upon her by her late father. The Uncle warns her that if she manages to cure him, she would get a boon but if she fails, she would lose the trust and faith of Kunti as well. She somehow cures him and is successful in getting married to Bharatram, which was the boon that she asked for. Based on Shakespeare’s play All’s Well That Ends Well, this musical adaptation in Hindi by Arpana Theatre has taken all the elements from the Bard’s play and has recreated it in the Indian setting. Originally performed in Gujarati, the play deals with an obsession for power and money.
The plot is about Heli’s attempt to get married to Bharatram and win his love, for which she uses her healthy relations and trust of the whole Bhatia family and Alkini (Avantika Ganguly), the beautiful Burmese princess, who became Bharatram’s object of obsession and Heli’s best friend.
With the help of Alkini, Heli tricked Bharatram and fulfilled his demand which he had placed before leaving her after their marriage. Not only did she get his ring but also became pregnant, which was impossible in an unconsummated marriage. Veteran actor Uday Mazumdar showed his versatility as the character of Rao Bahadur Gokuldas Sawaram Bhatia (Bharatram’s uncle) showcasing wit, experience and humour in a manner which wowed the audience. The play became a soothing experience for the viewers once he made his entrance. His calm yet charming demeanour evoked laughter and made the viewers ponder about their own relationships.
He also broke the fourth wall <g data-gr-id="81">ocassionally</g> along with the narrator Laffabhai (Hitesh <g data-gr-id="82">Malukani</g>) whose singing prowess made the narration sound beautiful. Parbat Maharaj, the priest, is the character who influenced Bharatram to follow his dreams and ambitions, which simultaneously enabled the former to go through with his own evil devices. This character is also blamed for being a bad influence even when Bharatram himself doesn’t want to be bestowed with responsibility.
The priest becomes powerless too soon and is driven away by the dedicated Heli, who goes beyond boundaries to win Bharatram’s love. The ambitious drive for victory and her attempts to <g data-gr-id="98">fulfill</g> Bharatram’s demands makes Heli look like <g data-gr-id="97">modern-day</g> stalker, who breaks rules and even deceives when required in order to win the object of their obsession.
As one cannot imagine a portrayal of Heli as a stalker, hence, with decency and grace, all
complexities are solved with the pregnant Heli ultimately becoming the apple of the family’s eyes and all ends well.
The Aadayam Theatre will showcase The Hound of the Baskervilles on August 22 and 23, which will be the final play to be staged in the city.
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