HYDERABAD: Set in early 20th century Lucknow, Kaun Salim Kiski Anarkali is a satirical play adapted from Dario Fo’s The Virtuous Burglar. The Italian playwright is renowned for his satirical works that employ a farcical sequence of events, creating humour through the absurd juxtaposition of the commonplace in an unconventional context.
Anyone familiar with Fo’s writing can imagine how difficult it is to adapt it in a different context and yet, the complexity of human beings and predictability of social and political events sort of makes it easier too. The writer of the play, Hasan Zaidi felt the same. Setting the play in the era of Nawaabs made it easier for him to etch out ‘well-defined characters.’
“The language, the mannerisms, the social composition and the way all of it has been portrayed in cinema, all came together beautifully while writing this play,” he said. Promising a hilarious experience, the show boasts an impressive cast, including Vibha Chhibber, known for her roles in popular TV serials like Bidai and films such as Ghajini and Chak De India.
Talking about challenges, Zaidi said it is easier to make people cry than to make them laugh. “We as a country, are very emotional people. We start crying even in a cricket match. But to make someone laugh constructively with imagination is a challenge. That was the only thing which was a challenging, we said our thoughts and laughed...because we are... how else do I say this, we are funny people and we have that humour,” he said.
The director, Faraz Khan, sheds some light on the technicalities of the play: “The techniques we have used are very European. Comedia Dell’arte is an Italian school of comedy, which has very precise methods of movement and presentation of humour. It has to do with how you use your space, which is very limited. You have to show a lot in that small space and imagination is not enough.”
Having graduated from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Faraz has an edge in envisioning things from scratch and executing them with finesse. But then, “there are some really fantastic actors I’m working with,” he said. Besides Hasan playing the Nawaab and Vibha Chhibber in the role of Begum, the show also has Piyush Kumar as Joseph, Pooja Bhamrrah as Mohtarma, Priyasha Bhardwaj as Mary and Prateek Kumar as Khadim. Faraz plays the role of Nawab Tully.
Piyush and Priyasha’s characters represent the working class. The sincerity and honesty of these characters act as a centre around which the moral derision of the elites revolves. Their vices, namely jealousy and connivance, when presented in a farcical manner, make way for the larger satirical arch of the play. While Piyush talked about looking deeper within his character to find the best expression of this working-class integrity, Pooja talked about the diverse shades of her character, that can be described as an emerging elite.
“I’m one of those in power, the one who abuses their power when it comes to that. She is a socialite, a butterfly and enjoys it thoroughly. She also has a side which is innocent, within a fraction of a second, she will shift, depending on the situation. It’s like there are different personalities that reside in her and she technically has no control over them. It’s because she’s not developed to that level of maturity that she can manipulate others but can go to any extent to save her own ass.”
Prateek plays Khadim and said his character works as a comic relief in the story. He mentioned that there are nuances that emerge while performing for a live audience that invigorate the whole experience for both artistes and viewers. “There are points at which the audience would laugh and you would not have expected it,” he said.
There is a lot more that goes into production than just perfect acting– the costumes, lights, music and direction play an extremely significant role. The cast agreed to the fact that all these aspects complement each other and the show is incomplete when even one of them is missing. The music was originally composed for the play by Sidhant Mathur and lights are managed by Chetan Chand. The creative director of the show is Ragini Roychowdhury.
On being asked about his thoughts on Hyderabad’s theatre scene, Faraz said, “I think Hyderabad needs to work harder. If you practice theatre as a performer, I feel, you invariably become a vulnerable human being which I think is good because you realise how frail and faulty humans are. In the world of cinema and show business, there is a chance for remediation. Doing theatre these days is not very easy.
arnering support in terms of sponsorships and encouraging people to give up their weekends and other modes of entertainment has made things harder and hence, all the more reason to keep doing theatre.”
The show will be performed at Rangbhoomi Spaces & Events, Gachibowli, on October 27, 28 and 29.