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

	Direction : Abhay Mahajan Writer : Abhay Mahajan and Aalok Rajwade Cast : Siddharth Menon, Madhura Jugade, Abhay Mahajan, Om Bhutkar, Soumitra Gapchup, Siddhesh Purkar, Ruddhi Vichare, Aditi Dravid and others
Chakra play review

Afsha Khan	Host-A-Performance \| Schedules

The term 'Natak' is often used quite frivolously to describe anyone with a melodramatic streak. But Pune based theatre company Natak is anything but that. The group has made its presence felt in Mumbai, and its young people have been active on the Thespo circuit in the last few years. Its new production CHAKRA was recently staged at the NCPA Centre Stage Festival and at Thespo 12.

Our early man (Siddharth Menon) is a curious fellow. While lamenting the loss of his hunting partner (Abhay Mahajan), he runs into a woman (Madhura Jugade). They're both initially scared of each other but take to each other soon enough. Throw in a wheel, some more prehistoric humans, the discovery of fire, and you've got yourself a very eventful hour and 30 minutes of grunting, gibberish and an emotive performance with no beginning, middle or end.

The play doesn't have much of a story to ride on but it's concept is interesting as it aims to showcase how cyclical nature and life are. The play tries to explore human actions and emotions while imaginatively drawing from a cave man's frame of mind. The cast has done a good job of adapting to their characters. The costumes and make up are also a throwback to mannequins that stand in museums depicting the evolution of man.
The actors do a great job, especially Menon who exudes the emotions of an aspiring alpha male, jealous of the new comers with bigger sticks and flint stones to create fire. Equal to her male counterpart in almost every aspect, is Madhura Jugade's woman who may give a sense of allowing the man to overpower her but is playfully aggressive too.

The live band is worth a special mention for creating emotive music and sound effects that send you straight into the wild. Also interesting is the dance denoting the evolution of man that is performed at the beginning of the play. The play has been directed by Abhay Mahajan who has also collaborated in its non-verbal script with Aalok Rajwade. CHAKRA has been brilliantly visualized and is a celebration of human life and civilization.

*Afsha Khan is a Mumbai based writer and blogger.

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Chakra play review

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