A new play, written and directed by Vikram Kapadia, Bombay Talkies found its way to Ranga Shankara, this Sunday. Featuring eight soliloquies, the play has a running time of a little over a 100 minutes.
Named after one of the oldest production houses in Mumbai (circa 1930s), the play chronicles the lives of eight Mumbaikars, each firmly ingrained in the veins of the city. A minimalist play, pregnant with thoughtful reveries of a city that builds and moulds these characters, Bombay Talkies lived up to its high expectations, especially due to the excellent performances by the cast that included Namit Das, Rasika Dugal, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee and Jaswinder Singh, each playing two characters.
The soliloquies feature characters like a single mother of two; a child star who’s grown into a beautiful but cynical actress; a Gujarati hoping to migrate to the US soon; a house-wife who pursues art to distract herself from her insensitive husband; a journalist tired of sensationalism; a crook agent delineating corruption; a victim of rape; and finally, a 2091 citizen of Mumbai who’s contemplating suicide.
Originally written in English, the play has been translated to Hindi, giving it the kind of local flavour you expect from a play from Mumbai. An adult play, Bombay Talkies doesn’t shy away from discussing sex, politics, death, corruption and more, all done with an ease as everyday conversation.
There are some weak moments in the play, especially noticed in Namit Das’ performance of the man who was once sexually harassed as a child, owing partly due to the overly simplistic and predictable turn of events in the script. A moment of genius comes in the form of the futuristic, sci-fi segment which sees a man in 2091, who sucks on oxygen through a tank strapped to his waist and is contemplating suicide from the roof of his apartment. Mumbai hasn’t seen the sun in years.
The pathos of adult life, stemming from the back lanes, offices, streets and homes of a city steeped in an ongoing feverish dream, is expertly captured in Bombay Talkies. There is, however, hope in every corner, no matter what the cost, and this is where the play really triumphs.