The Natasurya Phani Sarma Memorial Theatre Festivals can always be so hit or miss, but heeding to word of mouth (from the theatre circuit in Guwahati and the addas of Panbazar), I managed to see four shows out of the ten. However, keeping aside the Ansh Theatre productions, the others were mostly run of the mill presentations, unlike previous years. However, the terrific performer-director in Makrand Deshpande made up for it this year. I have, therefore, limited my reviews to Makrand’s two productions.

When Alzheimer’s disease robs the one you love of personality and reason, when duty replaces affection, what’s left for you? How much can you endure? Karodon Mein Ek tests this very question. Director Makrand Despande staged this production of his at the festival in Guwahati on August 5. Karodon Mein Ek is not a flight into fantasy, mythology or dream, but is firmly grounded in the realities of human life and relationships. It portrays that reality is any day richer than sheer imagination.

The entire cast was superb, with performances that were as compelling as they were visceral. The play moves from skilled realism to skilful melodrama. The fact that the chief protagonist, the old patriarch of a business family, suffers from Alzheimer’s, gives Makrand the chance, yet again, to explore the nebulous space between the real and the imagined. The patriarch’s family must deal with the fallout of his real life as best they can, while playing along with his other life, inhabited by strangely real creatures – an imagined son, his wife, and an old friend, Abba Saheb, well portrayed by Kishore Kadam, a politician of the Thackeray bandwagon.

In reality, the old man’s brothers have cheated him of all his money. His son, brilliantly portrayed by stage veteran Yashpal Sharma, is seen fighting a losing battle against increasing debt. The only solution he can see is suicide. His children are excitedly looking forward to making pots of money as actors in television serials. However, the tragic events at home make the endeavour meaningless. The daughter-in-law, ably played by Ayesha Raza, humours the old man, while struggling to boost the often flagging morale of the rest of the family. She did total justice to her role. Ansh Theatre branded this play as “It takes a great deal of vision, passion, and ambition, along with fortune to make crores, but just a misfortune is enough to ruin...” Makrand’s performance as the old man, who himself is unfailingly dignified, whether righteously angry, mellow, warmly affectionate or philosophical, was pure class. The others in the cast were Nivedita, Dilshad, Sanjay, Vijeta, Girish and Satish. Shailendra Barve’s music was felt throughout the beautifully accomplished production.

On the following day (August 6), Miss Beautiful was staged as a part of the closing play for the week-long theatre festival. For all intents and purposes, the play is about a pair of ailing parents whose only wish is to see their son happily married. Eventually tired of the tirade, the son gets home ‘Miss Beautiful’. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of Makrand’s life, with his bachelor status and ailing parents. However, the real appeal of the play is its treatment of the subject and execution. It is in the stratum of a reality play, with a play within the play format. Here, Makrand plays a scriptwriter who is working on the draft of his new play. The script he is working on is based on his own life and that of his parents. Things take a dramatic turn when he realizes that slowly, the script he is writing is affecting their life.

To make things even more bizarre, the scriptwriter, consumed by the guilt of not being able to fulfil his parents’ wish of seeing him married, gets home an unsuspecting actress, Miss Beautiful. The script – with its take on present day reality television, underlines the eventuality of death. We saw a startling performance by Divya, an Ansh Theatre worker, as the ailing mother, while the much hyped Ahlam Khan played Miss Beautiful – the protagonist. Makrand has himself directed the script. Special mention must be made of young Anand Karekar, who played the role of senior citizen Karve Chacha in the play.

Makrand’s mastery of the craft shone through the performance, which left behind a mesmerized audience. Artistically and passionately performed, tautly-written and directed, this is splendidly engaging theatre, with a real zinger of a closing line! The background music, along with effects by Shailendra Barve, and the light design added to its effectiveness.

The Natyasurjya Phani Sharma Theatre Festival has adapted a simple formula to provide theatre activists (both emerging and established) with the opportunity to produce their plays, no matter the content, form or style, and to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible for the members of the community. Maybe it empowers audiences with the ability to decide for themselves the truly great productions from the good, the bad, and the disastrous.

For the record, the festival’s inaugural play was Saponjyoti Thakur’s Ratnakar Adi, directed by Pranjal Saikia. Saroda Kanta Bordoloi’s Upohar, directed by Upakul Bordoloi, Kuladhar Saikia’s Marfat Mahanagar, directed by the duo Swapnaneel Barua and Chandrajit Saikia, Gyasuddin Ahmed’s Jibonot Haepahor Poduboi, Badal Sarkar’s Hottomaler Sipare (translated into Assamese by Nayan Prasad), a Seagull production, directed by Baharul Islam, Dr Arup Borthakur’s Astaraag, presented by Ami Amar Karone and directed by Bishnu Khargoria. Astaraag dealt with sensitivity towards human relationships in the present milieu and Bishnu Kharghoria gave an outstanding performance that evening.

It’s about time now for the festival organisers to follow some sort of a selection procedure. The venues were packed on all the days and it speaks about the love the Guwahatians have for theatre. And credit must be given to Gyassuddin Ahmed – the backbone of the festival – and his able team for this rare achievement.

Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan