Writer : Ishaan Doshi Direction : Manoj Shah Cast : Hemant Kher, Divya Savla Upadhyay, Unnati Gala, Hasit Shah, Dhruv Dave, Rishab Kamdar, Srushti Sorathiya, Krishna Oza, Dev Joshi, Savan Dodhia, Harsh Joshi and Priyank Patel
THIRD BELL Review
THIRD BELL, directed by Manoj Shah and written by Ishaan Doshi is an anthology play showcasing six short conversations between audience members before the third bell of a play: a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, two men discussing their love for theatre, a first date, two producers circling a writer for their next project, a conversation between family members to celebrate a dead loved one's interest in theatre and an artist and a widow bonding over their lives as single women.
It is a comedy that's extremely rooted in specificities of Gujarati theatre history and Gujarati culture. There are mentions of Gujarati artistes from the age of the gramophone, the power of love and art, and long soliloquies on how theatre can be transformative. The writer is in love with theatre, and it is his sincere hope that through this play, you realize your love for theatre, too.
However, the true triumphs are the more lighthearted moments, where there's comedy for the sake of comedy, you want to laugh simply because a character cracked an absurd joke or due to some clever wordplay or the timing of delivery.
Also watch Director Manoj Shah's interview on THIRD BELL
In the first skit, a frustrated wife waits in the theatre for her husband who enters late and then immediately wants to rush to the washroom to relieve himself. She is outraged at his audacity to want to leave her alone again and risk missing the play. Over 15 or so minutes, the husband tries to rush to take a leak but comes back every time the wife scolds him and later, to prove his love for his wife. It is obvious physical comedy, but it is done well and is genuinely funny. In the end, as the husband finally rushes off to the washroom, the audience is as relieved as the husband.
In another skit, a Marathi theatre journalist and a Gujarati theatre aficionado start talking to each other to pass time before the play starts. It is an absolute riot to watch the two men wrestle with each other's native tongue, mistakenly using similar sounding words that mean completely different things in the two languages.
While the reporter tries to explain how one can decide what a truly good play is, the Gujarati man says he doesn't understand these intricacies, he is no critic, only a layperson who simply likes a play because it is entertaining. This idea can be extrapolated to explain the play as well - a fun comedy that shines in its most absurd moments, when you can throw your head back and laugh, simply because.
*Neha Shende is an avid theatre-goer and enjoys watching old Bollywood movies in her free time.
