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India: Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah on stage

The play Old World: Both these actors always give their best when cast opposite each other.


On my recent visit to Kolkata, I couldn’t resist indulging in one of my favorite pastimes-watching a captivating play. This time, it was the intriguing ‘Old World’ at G.D Birla Sabhagar. A Motley Group Production starring stalwarts Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, it was directed by Arghya Lahiri. Russian playwright Aleksei Arbuzov wrote the play, which Ariadne Nicolaeff translated.

The story is set at a high-end health resort where Naseer is the doctor, and Ratna is one of the patients/residents. Ratna’s character suffers from arteriosclerosis, but despite her condition, she is free-spirited and spontaneous and constantly lives in the moment, looking for positivity in every situation. Ratna’s character was juxtaposed with Naseer’s — that of a taciturn and principled doctor who finds it hard to move on from his past losses. The contrasting characters and their life choices is what make the story come alive.


Despite their contrasting personalities, their humorous interactions gradually evolve into a deep friendship. As they share their journeys of love and loss, the story delves into the universal themes of aging, relationships, and companionship, resonating with the audiences’ experiences. The highlight scene in the play was a sequence of waltzing. Ratna wants to wear a new dress but has no special occasion to keep it for. She manages to coax Naseer to go to dinner at a fancy restaurant dressed in full finery, after which they break into a dance. It was a fantastic, well-executed sequence and had the desired effect.


The house full of septuagenarians enjoyed the show and gave the duo a well-deserved standing ovation. The play was memorable for its amusing dialogues, such as: ‘Marriage is a peculiar phenomenon. It’s easy to get married but hard to stay married.’; ‘You lose your charm when angry.’; ‘It is catastrophobic.’ These will stay with me for a long time.


As for the performances, both these actors always give their best when cast opposite each other. This was just the right kind of script to use their acting skills. However, in small sections, I felt something amiss. There seemed to be a slight lack of direction in certain scenes, and thus, the performance fell just a tad bit behind the category of ‘stupendous’ for me. But I acknowledge that I am a bit hard to please regarding theatre. The real meaning of success in such a story is its fundamental issues; aging and loneliness are a more significant concern in the 21st century.


In a previous interview, the director, Arghya Lahiri, beautifully articulated the play’s universal relevance. He said, ‘What it(the play) speaks about is universal. It’s a shame that we’re still grappling with the issues raised by the play when it was first written— the legitimacy of older people’s lives, loves, desires, and foibles. It’s something I’ve become very aware of over the past decade or so — that my parent’s generation is grappling with so much as they age. They aren’t just repositories of advice and anecdotes. They are flesh and blood and feel as keenly as we do. Sometimes even more.’ This quote perfectly captures the essence of ‘Old World ‘and its profound connection to our lives.

 

Authored by Rashmi Kotriwala

Rashmi Kotriwala is a well-known name in the UAE’s performing arts circle. Over the last 12 years, she has directed several award-winning plays and acted in and produced plays, festivals, and entertainment events in Dubai, Doha, and India. She teaches drama at her platform, EnAct. She also co-founded a popular community theatre space in Dubai.


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