With a cast like Kalki Koechlin, Richa Chadda, Purab Kohli and Cyrus Sahukar, few things can go wrong. Their star presence and stellar performances go a long way in adding to the sizzle of the theatrical stage. The four are all set to perform to entertain in their play called Trivial Disasters.
The narrative takes mundane themes from everyday life and turns them into humorous situations. ‘‘Trivial Disasters are a series of nine unconnected skits with four actors running in and out of scenes. Every story has a twist that makes the audience either laugh off their seat, or gasp. Add to that some great acting and the play makes for an enjoyable 90-minute evening,” says Kohli.
Even though each actor in the play is a pro at what he/she does, nerves sometimes get the better of them. Funny man Sahukar confesses to cursing himself before every show he signs up for. ‘‘Well, I have not done theatre since school and was scared initially. The audience, however, always warms up to you and makes you feel comfortable within minutes. Theatre opens you up and, personally, it feels great walking into something you know nothing about, and start from zero and just keep at it, no matter what comes out of it,’’ he says.
Directed by Atul Kumar, the play narrates a series of funny stories like that of a man who is unable to complete his sentences when he wants to propose to his girlfriend; a talk show interview with an accomplished serial killer; a poet who is invited by the city municipal board to help compose road safety slogans; a man who insists that his broken kettle is under the warranty period, and many others such trivial situations. ‘‘The plot is relatable as all of us experience our share of trivial disasters everyday, just like I did on the sets of Emotional Atyachar,’’ says Kalki Koechlin. ‘‘I had to look very dead in the film, but the fake blood was really smelly and gross, which made me giggle and shake uncontrollably at the same time,’’ she remembers with a laugh. That disaster, however, prepared her for many such scenes that she would do in the future and that’s why the presentation, she says, will be a great drama.