Art has several form, and each one is beautiful in its own!
So when Karan said that Akhshay's play is up this weekend at Rangashankara (http://www.rangashankara.org/home/rangatest/) I was first bit apprehensive. Karan was like "I am not asking your permission, you are coming for the play!". I was not sure what I have unknowingly registered for. But whatever it was, it was a different experience altogether.
Rangashankara is situated in dense of Bangalore, and trust me I wouldn't have reached there on my own. Vineet was telling the directions and I was just turning the bike left and right. When we reached there, It was a mix of art, energy, subtlety, respect and expectations. It seemed everyone was an artist in themselves. Like those people in movies who are art loving - guys with curly long hairs wearing kurtas, some with funky T Shirts and Long beards, Girls with cloth sling-bags.. And it was like everyone knows each other. Difficult to tell between audience junta and volunteer/actors. Vineet was damn sure he saw some faces which he sees on TV. I was till then still swallowing the Awe of the place.
At 6.45 they announced to assemble near the entrance and sit down. People were confused, thinking the play is going to be here only. On asking how to sit, as in facing which direction, controller said sit anywhere you find space. And with that lights went off, everyone just sat wherever they were. Lights lit behind us and we turned around to see Akhshay and two others. Preliminary had started. It was good. Actors were sitting among audience only. So all of sudden light will focus at a section and few people will come forward and start performing. At 7.20 this ended. Though most part of this preliminary was in Kannada( my guess ) people had already strtd coming in mood of cheering and whisteling.
Inside the theater at 7.30 was an altogether different scene. A huge backdrop of Shakespeare wearing crown like Indian Gods was enough to make you laugh. And by the time we were in we were a group of some 10 people - Vineet, me, Karan, his office friends, Akhshay (since his part in preliminary was over and he ws not in the main play), his mom and wife. We got perfect center row.
Lights off and there was one of those elegantly beautiful lady on stage. People were clapping like anything and with joined hands she was accepting the greeting and waving. I was sure I had seen her before but couldn't recognise. Vineet told that she is Arundhati Nag. And then I remembered, first by her role in movie Paa(as Vidya Balan's mom) and then as owner of Rangashankara. Wife of legendary South Indian superstar, she herself is superstar and theater personality. She welcomed everyone there and formally announced the play to start. What came next was simply stunning.
Lights went off again and when they came back, it was abundance of colours on stage. A group of people, all in colourful costumes were there on stage. Play had begun. It was Hindi remake of Shakespeare's "The Twelthe night" named as "Piya Behrupiya". Though you know the story, watching it live is something different.
This was the real talent in front of which I thought Movies stand nowhere. Everything was on stage. No microphones for voice, no playbacks, all characters were singing on stage itself, music was played by using dholak and the likes on stage itself. All characters were sitting on stage only so there was no going back stage and changing or anything. Highly Mature acting where characters were so comfortable in there roles that you wont realize when stuff happened which would otherwise have been cut off by great censor board. And jokes, God, there was not a single moment you were not laughing. Exceptionally awesome punchlines.
What I really liked was that each character was better than the other. All were singing like professionals (it was musical play) acting like real characters and expressions - I said to Vineet that I am not going to spend money on movies from now and instead watch these plays. No special effect, no post processing, just pure talent.
And the play ended. Man, it was the best any artist could dream for. More than 10 minutes of standing ovation. People were ecstatcic and none seemd tired though it was already 10.30 in night (roughly 3 hour play). Just imagine, three hours of script non stop in front of you. So much dialogues and songs and evertyhting, thats real something. You dont have chance for retake or anything. Everything need to be perfect and everything was perfect.
While coming out, it looked that everyone had time of their life. To top this, volunteers were standing outside with sweets. It was Rangashankaras 8th Birthday today. Added flavour to festivity there :) Just we were discussing and I saw a familiar face in the crowd. Someone whom I had not seen in last 6-7 years. It was Priyamwada, one of my school friend. I was knowing tht she got married and settled in Bangalore but meeting like this was not expected. It was nice to see old friends!
Well that was not the end. In the pamphlets outside, Vinay Pathak was seen lurking out. We picked and read, he is going to perform here in Dec start. With promise to be back here again for his play, everyone left! And while riding back my bike, for first time in months I was like free in mind where there was no second thought but happiness about small beautiful things in life!
So when Karan said that Akhshay's play is up this weekend at Rangashankara (http://www.rangashankara.org/home/rangatest/) I was first bit apprehensive. Karan was like "I am not asking your permission, you are coming for the play!". I was not sure what I have unknowingly registered for. But whatever it was, it was a different experience altogether.
Rangashankara is situated in dense of Bangalore, and trust me I wouldn't have reached there on my own. Vineet was telling the directions and I was just turning the bike left and right. When we reached there, It was a mix of art, energy, subtlety, respect and expectations. It seemed everyone was an artist in themselves. Like those people in movies who are art loving - guys with curly long hairs wearing kurtas, some with funky T Shirts and Long beards, Girls with cloth sling-bags.. And it was like everyone knows each other. Difficult to tell between audience junta and volunteer/actors. Vineet was damn sure he saw some faces which he sees on TV. I was till then still swallowing the Awe of the place.At 6.45 they announced to assemble near the entrance and sit down. People were confused, thinking the play is going to be here only. On asking how to sit, as in facing which direction, controller said sit anywhere you find space. And with that lights went off, everyone just sat wherever they were. Lights lit behind us and we turned around to see Akhshay and two others. Preliminary had started. It was good. Actors were sitting among audience only. So all of sudden light will focus at a section and few people will come forward and start performing. At 7.20 this ended. Though most part of this preliminary was in Kannada( my guess ) people had already strtd coming in mood of cheering and whisteling.
Inside the theater at 7.30 was an altogether different scene. A huge backdrop of Shakespeare wearing crown like Indian Gods was enough to make you laugh. And by the time we were in we were a group of some 10 people - Vineet, me, Karan, his office friends, Akhshay (since his part in preliminary was over and he ws not in the main play), his mom and wife. We got perfect center row.
Lights off and there was one of those elegantly beautiful lady on stage. People were clapping like anything and with joined hands she was accepting the greeting and waving. I was sure I had seen her before but couldn't recognise. Vineet told that she is Arundhati Nag. And then I remembered, first by her role in movie Paa(as Vidya Balan's mom) and then as owner of Rangashankara. Wife of legendary South Indian superstar, she herself is superstar and theater personality. She welcomed everyone there and formally announced the play to start. What came next was simply stunning.Lights went off again and when they came back, it was abundance of colours on stage. A group of people, all in colourful costumes were there on stage. Play had begun. It was Hindi remake of Shakespeare's "The Twelthe night" named as "Piya Behrupiya". Though you know the story, watching it live is something different.
What I really liked was that each character was better than the other. All were singing like professionals (it was musical play) acting like real characters and expressions - I said to Vineet that I am not going to spend money on movies from now and instead watch these plays. No special effect, no post processing, just pure talent.
And the play ended. Man, it was the best any artist could dream for. More than 10 minutes of standing ovation. People were ecstatcic and none seemd tired though it was already 10.30 in night (roughly 3 hour play). Just imagine, three hours of script non stop in front of you. So much dialogues and songs and evertyhting, thats real something. You dont have chance for retake or anything. Everything need to be perfect and everything was perfect.
While coming out, it looked that everyone had time of their life. To top this, volunteers were standing outside with sweets. It was Rangashankaras 8th Birthday today. Added flavour to festivity there :) Just we were discussing and I saw a familiar face in the crowd. Someone whom I had not seen in last 6-7 years. It was Priyamwada, one of my school friend. I was knowing tht she got married and settled in Bangalore but meeting like this was not expected. It was nice to see old friends!
Well that was not the end. In the pamphlets outside, Vinay Pathak was seen lurking out. We picked and read, he is going to perform here in Dec start. With promise to be back here again for his play, everyone left! And while riding back my bike, for first time in months I was like free in mind where there was no second thought but happiness about small beautiful things in life!
