After almost a year, finally, the theatres seem to have come to life gradually. With a 'Housefull' sign as a welcome, it was a relief to know that the enthusiasm towards theatre and live performances hasn't faded away.
Watching MOHAN'S MASALA (the English version of the Gujarati's original MOHAN NO MASALO), I wonder what more could it be to Gandhi than we already know. The performance opens with a young man trying to find his lost diary. This book has the observations he made which could help each and everyone in some way or another. Placed in the present times, the young man is eager to share his recipe of success with the right mix of spices. He introduces himself in a playful way engaging the audience directly. People know him as Mahatma or Gandhi but deep down, he is just Mohan, or as his family called him lovingly - Mohania. A son, brother, husband and father - a common man with roles cut out for him in society.
Pratik Gandhi effortlessly slips into the persona of Mohan. He begins to share Mohan's innocence, his liveliness, his curiosity, his doubts, and his relationships with the audience. He introduces his family, their traits, and his childhood memory of his parents. He moves to share how Mohan was not prepared to marry Kasturba. In hindsight, Mohan has a realization that her companionship introduced perspective in his life.
The performance keeps oscillating between the now and the then. The young man who is eager to find his diary meets many on his journey. It was observed that he did look like Bapu, but all were influenced by the usual notions and image that has been created through the years about Mahatma Gandhi. No one really cared to know the person who he was before he was perceived in a certain way. More so, he is also shocked to know how the commerce of creating his statues has impacted how he is perceived.
Narrating the instances which are mentioned in the diary, the audience is taken on a journey with Mohan on his family life, how he decided what he had to do in his career, his first travel to London, his return trip, and his employment in South Africa. How he tried to blend in but stood out because of the values instilled and the upbringing. Each of these instances is important in Mohan's life because he had a moment of self-realization and reflection. His method of simple living and high thinking ingrained in life, Mohan was in the process of becoming the person who was inspiring to many.
The play closes in the now and has an impactful end. It compels you to ponder on what is your masala? Pratik Gandhi can be termed as a director's actor where Manoj Shah succeeds in bringing out an earnest performance from him. To hold the audience captive for straight 90 minutes is no easy task. Pratik does the job beautifully, by making the audience laugh, wonder at the simplicity even pushing them to think about things under Manoj Joshi's guidance. The set by Atul Dodiya is minimalistic, yet effective in the storytelling. Ishan Doshi does a swell job in introducing the concepts of now and blending them with the instances of then. This helps to make the performance relatable and relevant to the audience of today. Kanhaiya's music and Parthiv Gohil's vocals add to the authentic Gujarati feel to the performance.
*Vandana Panjabi is a media professional and is passionate about theatre)
