Narenatplay

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR   Sifar / Hindi play Director : Sachin Malvi Writer : Sachin Malvi Group : Shabd Theatre  Cast : Yash Ahirrao, Ajay Singh, Sairaj Zajam, Namrata Ghaturle Rating ; *** The story of Sachin Malvi's Sifar is set in conflict-ridden Syria, as different characters look for means to continue their lives. Some want to stay behind, others want to move to peaceful regions, greener pastures.  Though the incidents refer to a particular region, the subject is relevant universally. War is something that affects everyone, irrespective of nationality, colour and religion. Yet, there are stories of hope and resilience, and that's what Malvi focuses on in Sifar . The story thus talks of reconstruction and its challenges. The title means 'zero' and is symbolic of things starting from scratch. In terms of concept and ideas, Sifar works well. Many of the performers are young, and to get an ensemble cast together is a task. Yet, one feels the play could have been shorte...

  BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Hind/ play in Hindustani  Director : Feroz Abbas Khan  Writer : August Wilson Hindustani version : Vikas Bahari Group : Platform Theatre Company  Cast : Sachin Khedekar, Sonal Jha, Dadhi Pandey, N.K. Pant, Ankiit, Ravi Chahar Rating ; *** 1/2 It's 1957. Tabrez Ansari, who makes beedis at the local factory, is staying with his wife Razia and son Kaifi. The elder son Latif, from his first wife, visits often. So does his closest friend Banwari, with whom he can chat freely, with or without a drink for company. Feroz Abbas Khan's new play Hind , inspired by August Wilson's 1985 play  Fences , begins on a rather simple premise. Adapted and translated into Hindustani by Vikas Bahari, it slowly builds up momentum with a few developments. The play had a four-show run at the Prithvi Theatre Festival on November 16 and 17, and for those who missed it, it will return from December 10 to 14 at the same venue. The ads now name it Hind 1957 . Tab...