Joke play review , Hindi play review - www.MumbaiTheatreGuide.com

	Direction : Makrand Deshpande Writer : Makrand Deshpande Cast : Makrand Deshpande, Abir Abrar, Aseem Hattangady, Kshitee Jog, Sanjay Dadhich, Nivedita Bhattacharya
Joke play review

Deepa Karmalkar

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Makarand Deshpande's JOKE is humorous but not funny. Right at the outset, the playwright confesses that he hasn't written the play; the turbulent times we live in have scripted it. In a way he's right. Religious fanaticism does make you question the role that faith plays in our lives. The play also focuses on how religious rituals are such a force of habit with us.

JOKE
And so the protagonist of the play Sandip Joshi (Deshpande), a successful tele serial writer decides to clear his mind and life of gods. He picks up the idols at home to chuck them out literally. But as luck would have it, before immersing the gods in the sea, he bumps into a god-fearing police constable Satpute (Hattangadi) who ends up taking the idols home instead. At home, Joshi's dancer wife Radhika (Abir Abrar) laments him for abandoning gods. But a recent convert to atheism, Joshi defends his decision zealously. He vehemently declines to give donation for the local Dahi Handi mandal on the occasion of Janmashtmi. His wife pays a big sum just to get even with him. But as he points out the inebriated state the young volunteer is in, she feels a twinge of regret for her mindless charity.

On the one hand Joshi faces the flak for his new found beliefs at home, on the other, constable Satpute runs into Sangeeta (Nivedita Bhattacharya) the same night he assumes foster care for Joshi's gods. Sangeeta, a constable herself from rural north Indian background falls in love with the simpleton Satpute. The cop couple is convinced of divine intervention. But much to his chagrin, Satpute's younger sister Pari (Kshitee Jog) is a fan and follower of Joshi's ideology. She too is a non-believer.

Caught in a creative turmoil, Joshi decides to replace gods with fairies. He even dedicates his new novel to a fairy. But does that resolve the dilemma about how religious faiths get misinterpreted? That's the focal issue addressed by the play.
On the whole, JOKE is a light-hearted look at this gigantic malady. This serious issue has been tackled almost jocularly by the writer. If only he had pondered deeper - it may perhaps have found a relevant solution. The snide remarks about dismal box office performances of movies, Kites and Raavan could have well been avoided. Those tend to trivialize the very premise of the play.

But Deshpande must be lauded for the engaging performances by his cast. Right from the blind Pari played effortlessly by Kshitee Jog, the colourful rural cop Sangeeta essayed by Nivedita Bhattachrya to Deshpande's nearly own autobiographical role - the performances, and not the writing are the life and soul of the play.

A mention must be made of Anuj Deshpande's special effects in the play. The graphic rain and flowing letters that form the backdrop enhance the dramatic effect for sure. JOKE is on the whole an enjoyable play with a smattering of philosophy, and powerful performances.

*Deepa Karmalkar is a film and theatre reviewer. She has been an entertainment journalist for over fifteen years.

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