Play review/:Khichik

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Khichik/ Hindi play

Director, translator: Divya Jagdale 

Writer; Shiv Subrahmanyam

Theatre group: D For Drama

Cast: Girija Oak, Ghanshyam Lalsa

Rating: *** 1/2

A college girl reads a book as she waits for the bus, when a boy joins her, and keeps disturbing her. Khichik. She has a boyfriend, but slowly becomes friendly with the intruder. Khichik. Years later, Pooja Khanna and Sanjeev Menon are married, having the usual squabbles and patch-ups. Khichik.

D For Drama's new play Khichik captures the story of Pooja and Sanjeev through their courtship, marriage, parenthood, separation and beyond. While that may sound like a routine, oft-heard tale, the heartening thing is that the lead pair of Girija Oak and Ghanshyam Lalsa shine through their performances, displaying spontaneous chemistry and a balance of humour with serious emotion. While she plays a corporate manager, he teaches history. 

The play has been directed by Divya Jagdale, who had translated Shiv Subrahmanyam's Snapshots From An Album into Hindi. The 'khichik' is a reference to metaphorical camera clicks showing the capturing of specific moments and the jumps in time.

Since this blogger hasn't seen the English original, one can't draw any parallels. But Khichik works as it flows smoothly, and even talks of infidelity, ageing and loneliness in a way some in the audience may relate to. Yes there are some unnecessary sequences like a reference of a riot scenario. Also, though the couple talks of having children, there is little mention of their upbringing. 

To portray the period atmosphere, the first half has many retro moments like the reference to historian Romila Thapar and the playing of songs like 'Yeh Nayan Dare Dare' and 'Aap Jaisa Koi'. The sets are minimal and change of attire is pretty frequent, to show different periods of time.

Khichik was the third theatrical performance at this year's Prithvi Theatre Festival after Ek Dastaan Ek Haqeeqat, a contemporary storytelling performance by Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and Manav Kaul's hilarious musical comedy Pyaar Aadmi Ko Kabootar Bana Deta Hai.

While the festival goes on till November 18, one hopes visitors take to switching off their mobiles compulsorily. A few kept ringing in the audience in the first half. Maybe the culprits thought the play's title was not Khichik, but Tringgg.