Direction : Suketu Shah Cast : Darsheel Safary, Abhishek Pattnaik, Prakhar Singh, Gaurangi Dang
KAISE KARENGE? Review
Darsheel Safary who was the child star from the Hindi movie Taare Zameen Par (2007) makes his theatre debut with this play. Yes, he's all grown up now, but he is as endearing and spontaneous. In his stage debut, he plays a charming young IIT-ian named Saurav Parasrampuria (SP), with rimless glasses and squeaky clean looks. Safary slips into this role effortlessly. SP's lifelong dream is about to come true as he is selected by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for higher studies. All he has to do now is crack the interview!
But life is never really that simple, so even as SP's cup of happiness is filled to the brim, an unforeseen family emergency comes along. His elder brother, Kapil (KP), a bumbling advertising executive, develops multiple personality disorder. KP assumes two personalities â€' that of a chaste Hindi speaking, oily Professor called Kabir, and of a coarse, loud Jaat called Sunny, with a pronounced Hariyanavi accent.
Battling with these conflicting personalities, KP needs round-the-clock help. SP opts out of MIT for the sake of his brother. Can SP's genius find a way to rein in his brother's multiple personalities? Can he empower KP enough to overpower Kabir and Sunny?
This is a drama suffused with subtle humour, touching emotions, and stellar performances by all the actors. Writer Abhishek Pattnaik who plays the brother Kapil makes an unassuming entry but with his personality splits, his act blossoms into a captivating series of changing dialects and body language. Prakhar Singh's multiple appearances as the psychiatrist and gloating MIT-ian, although amusing, are almost overlapping. The female actor Gaurangi Dang holds her own as the ad agency owner's daughter and KP's love interest.
Suketu Shah has maintained a light and a happy tone in his direction though the issue is complex. He however manages not to make the mental condition a dramatic frivolity. The second half of the play can be tweaked and edited. The music score by Rahul Popawala blends in well. Sonal Kharade's costumes are apt and trendy. KAISE KARENGE depicts the conflict between ambition and family duty. It celebrates the human spirit and the family over personal aspirations.
*Deepa Karmalkar is a film and theatre reviewer. She has been an entertainment journalist for over fifteen years.
KAISE KARENGE? Play Schedule(s)
8:00 PM, Thu, January 16
Studio Theatre, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Mumbai (map link)
