Vandana Sajnani Khattar's latest comedy, FOUR PLAY celebrates the sixth anniversary of her production company, Moksh Creations. This one-night romp replete with double entendres also includes a sassy item number by Payal Rohtagi. The peppy producer-director-actress says that she's all set to tour India, Dubai, the US and Canada with it. Cheekily, she adds that after FOUR PLAY, her next show could be titled CLIMAX! Ah, here's more of the naughty Ms Sajnani.
Deepa Ranade
Congratulations! Moksh Creations turned six and your latest comedy FOUR PLAY has got a good opening. So how do you always pick up plays that are sure shot box office hits?
Thank you. FOUR PLAY has receisved a great response - both our opening shows were houseful. This play comes after a year's gap, as I was too busy with my TV show 'Sab Ki Laadli Bebo' on Star Plus. However, I was not creatively satisfied doing television. I am so used to producing, directing and acting in my plays.
So over the past year, I read around 200 plays. Nothing excited me. And then I chanced upon this British comedy, MRS. MARKHAM by Ray Cooney and John Chapman. Normally my plays do not have a cast of more than four, and this play had nine actors. It is not economically viable to have a huge cast while touring. So I was skeptical about producing the play, But every time I picked up another book, this play would be on my mind. So I said to myself, let me just have the courage and go for it. I reasoned that if people can have huge Musicals, why can't I do a play with nine actors?
Have you acquired the rights for the play?
I have paid the royalty for the play to its original publishers, and I have acquired the rights. I can officially take the play any place.
How much have you Indianised the original British comedy?
I have seen a couple of comedies in New York and those have influenced my direction. I allow my actors to improvise and sink into their characters as long as they don't jar in my script. I have tried to retain the original writers' work as Ray Cooney and John Chapman have a success ratio of more than 100. I cannot spoil their intellectual property by making a slapstick comedy. I keep reworking the script; my second half is still changing. The third show will be tighter and crisper. The play is growing continuously.
Your plays explore man-woman relationships, and you have a predilection for comedies...
The basic plot of my plays has always looked into the various dimensions of human relationships. Two of my plays, PLEASE DIVORCE ME DARLING and PERFECT DIVORCE were about divorce and the the ideal Marriage. BEAUTY BRAINS AND PERSONALIT was about friendship. As a producer-director, I have always opted for comedies because I feel at the end of the day, the viewers want to have a good time and the television is full of theatrics anyway. Humor and relationship based subjects have been my forte.
Casting nine actors must have been a long process and especially when one of them - Sherlyn Chopra had to be replaced with Payal Rohtagi mid rehearsal. How did you select the cast?
We had Sherlyn Chopra for that nice, glamorous role which eventually went to Payal Rohtagi. Sherlyn rehearsed for 10 days initially but she was more interested in the publicity, and she was not at all interested in the hard work that theatre entails. So we parted ways and then a friend suggested Payal's name, but I was very wary about casting another person from films. My friend convinced me however that Payal was very keen on doing theatre. And she has played her part well; she is improving with every show.
Gaurav Chopra and Mouni Roy were already cast by then. When I was writing the play, I needed a suave, dashing and flirtatious actor to play one character, Bobby. I had met Gaurav at one of my house parties. I saw the charm in him that was just perfect for Bobby's character. My husband Rajesh plays Raj Malhotra, a children's book author who is na�ve and simple. Since people are used to seeing him in villainous roles, they are taken by surprise with this cowardly, shy, hyper avataar of his. He got a standing ovation for his role. I play his simpleton wife who is shocked to know that Mouni wants to have a gala time with her boyfriend at her place. Mouni plays the role of a carefree diva. While Rajesh, Gaurav and I have done theatre before, Payal and Mouni are debutantes.
Payal's item number is already making waves. Was it your idea to infuse that commercial element in the play?
I like to call it a sensuous song. I have written the lyrics for it, and Pries Vail, Himesh Reshammiya's chief assistant has composed the music. The song has been specially recorded. Absolutely sizzling!
The title of the play is rather titillating. Is that the aim of the play?
FOUR PLAY will titillate the viewers' funny bone. They can enjoy the comedy and Payal's sensuous number in it. The title is mischievous. There is a lot of masti because of the innuendoes. It is a classily executed masala play. The production values are good in terms of the sets and lighting. People are just rolling off their seats with laughter while watching the play!
What about upcoming shows? Going by the overwhelming response of viewers in Mumbai, I am planning to have a good run here, and then we will tour Delhi, Hyderabad and Dubai. In March and April we are looking at the US-Canada tour.
What's next on the agenda?
May be my next play will enhance mine and Rajesh's acting abilities. I so want to do something more serious. Hmmm... maybe after FOUR PLAY, my next play could be called CLIMAX !!! On TV, Rajesh and me would love to do a reality show together.
How do you manage to juggle production, direction and acting? Do you do yoga, vipassana, or anything of the sort to keep your wits about?
You forget that I also write my plays and lyrics! I am a one-woman show - producer, director, actor and marketing person. I am a bundle of nerves most times and spaced out. But my team calls me the female Shah Rukh Khan!
I don't do yoga or anything else. I am an insomniac. I sleep at the most for three hours only, while my husband is just the opposite - he can sleep anytime, anyplace.
How do you always manage to get Provogue to sponsor your plays?
Every theatre company can get a sponsorship provided they show productivity and deliver what they promise. Kingfisher Airlines is my travel partner, and Provogue has supported all my plays because they are not crass or lvulgar slapstick comedies.
How important is the party circuit to you?
I don't have any office. My phone and my laptop are all I have. Parties are all about networking. Everybody wants to be known today. It is important, and it is fun. I used to party plenty but I have cut down on it since the last one and a half years. That is because Rajesh and I have just got a new place, and I love to cook and have people over.
What's your pick of the plays that you have liked?
My favourite plays are the ones I have acted in. In the thriller WAIT UNTIL DARK I essayed the role of a blind woman. I have liked Dinesh Thakur's production of Mohan Rakesh's AADHE ADHOORE. Rahul Da Cunha's CLASS OF 84 is also on the top of my chart.
*Deepa Ranade is a film and theatre reviewer. She has been an entertainment journalist for over fifteen years.
Congratulations! Moksh Creations turned six and your latest comedy FOUR PLAY has got a good opening. So how do you always pick up plays that are sure shot box office hits?
The title of the play is rather titillating. Is that the aim of the play?
