A blend of folk comedy, traditional dance and satire, SAIYYAN BHAYE KOTWAL is the Hindi adaptation (by Usha Banerjee) of the famous Marathi folk play VICHHA MAJHI PURI KARA that launched the career of Dada Kondke- the shorts wearing master of double entendre in Marathi films. This should be caution enough for the readers as to what they could expect to find here. This play however carefully treads the thin line between a clean and a bawdy act, and turns out to be a literal laugh-a-minute performance that gives more returns on the ticket money than other similar options these days.
Following the traditional format of the Marathi folk theatre, 'tamasha', the performance begins with prayers offered to Lord Ganesh. The drum beats sound fast and upbeat though, and one suspects the proceedings would carry a similar twist. All formalities completed, a while later, the actual play begins with a diminutive Chinese wearing a fancy hat (CM, played by Muskaan), who ushers in the King of Suryanagari (Sameer) with a shower of bubbles from a bubble blower. Indication enough that this is going to be one helluva show, for the director appears to be in his element, and it does turn out to be so.
The story (original play written by Vasant Sabnis) is simple yet persuasive. After the death of the present kotwal (the head of a region combining several police stations), the vacant post is grabbed by the prime minister (played by Rajat Gajbhiye) to be filled up by his brother-in-law (played by director Rakesh Sharma), a rustic herdsman with no administrative experience. The candidate next in line for the post, the havaldar (police officer, played by Nauman Azam Khan) devises a scheme with the help of his fiance, the lavani singer Mainawati (played by Geetika Shyam), to lure the new kotwal into a trap, and gain his rightful place. Additional sidekicks are added to the story in the form of the Sipahi (Abhijit Agarwala) and the eunuch Sakhia (played by Pranay).
The folk comedy, broken down into several acts that are introduced with verses, unfolds on stage and sustains itself for the rest of the play, with no let down in wit or vigour, so much so that letting out a good laugh puts one in the peril of missing out on the next funny line or act. The play is replete with a free-for-all, butt-kicking exchange of dialogue and wit, where the actors are not just enacting the script, but busy packing each phrase and line with action and innuendo with the help of some excellent body language and acting skills. In a larger auditorium, they may however need to be louder to be heard in the back rows.
There are no sets as such in the folk play, and all the action happens against the backdrop of a palace. The costume design is not elaborate or courtly, and the lights are used occasionally to add emphasis, putting the focus therefore on the exchange amongst the actors. There is an element of lavani, but we do not see an elaborate performance, keeping it a short act. The music (by Chaitanya Shah) is a plus and provides good support.
The play is produced by Rang Nirvana, a Mumbai-based theatre group formed by young theatre enthusiasts, who appear to have a knack for the comic on stage, no matter how irreverent or inane. Theirs is an act that would find few imitators elsewhere for its zest and liveliness.
*Amit Sharma works for a knowledge consultancy firm, and writes to make it meaningful.
