BENGALURU: The 31st February? Sounds strange? This play, which is going to premiere today and tomorrow at Jagriti Theatre in Whitefield is set in 1980s Bombay and follows Harshvardhan Mehra, a bored man who is shuffling between two cities to escape the charges of the murder of a woman, who was found dead in his apartment. He now goes on the run to clear his name and uncover the truth behind The 31st February, which is a ‘secret organisation’.
Director Priyanshu Kumar Mishra’s play is a Hindi stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The 39 Steps. “I found that there are hardly any adaptations of a Hitchcock movie into Hindi plays. So this is my version,” says Mishra.
One of the many challenges that Mishra faced while creating this comedy-mystery play is just having seven actors playing over 40 characters. “Sometimes bringing a mystery on stage can have its challenges,” says Mishra, who is planning to take the play to Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre, after its Bengaluru premiere.
(The 31st February will be performed on May 25, at Jagriti Theatre)