Some dinners have the potential to explore more than the table spread. American playwright Donald Margulies discovered it can fetch a Pulitzer Prize. And now his much acclaimed play, Dinner With Friends, has been adapted by director Feroz Abbas Khan who is serving it in his own inimitable style.
Presented by Ballentine, Dinner With Friends is currently touring major cities in India and wherever it has been staged, the response has been a houseful. The cast comprises Perizaad Zorabian, Joy Sengupta, Tisca Chopra and Vinay Jain.The plot revolves around two couples — all four happen to be friends. And when friends meet over some crêpe, croissant and conversation, it is usually an interesting affair. Dinner With Friends is no different, only it should be kept in mind; this is not just any other casual dinner. Here, the table is set for startling revelations that send ripples of shock and unveils some bitter sweet lessons of life. In short, one of the couple’s marriage has hit the rocks and they are heading for a divorce while for the other couple’s marital ship is having a smooth sail.
The play explores how under an altered scenario, relationships change colour and age old equations get unbalanced. It is divided into three parts, beginning with the present, then travels back in time to provide a glimpse of their courtship days and once again returns to the current times. As the stage opens with one of the female characters dropping in for dinner at the other couple’s house, and during the course of the conversation, she reveals that she and her husband have decided to part ways. That sets the ball rolling for an interesting 90 minutes of drama.
Director Feroz Abbas Khan, whose earlier works include landmarks like Mahatma vs. Gandhi, Tumhari Amrita and Salesman Ramlal, feels: “The play reflects on the dynamics of relationships. And the thought you carry home is: Never take relationships for granted.” Projecting an urban set up, with each of the characters having an independent mindset, the famous play stands out for not tilting to any particular side. “There is free flowing conversation and eventually the audience feels they have managed to sneak into someone’s home, and are witnessing some very interesting bouts of talks. The conversation is wrapped in different flavours — right from heated exchanges to some sober and humorous chit-chats. Dinner with Friends does not indulge in the job of giving some heavy duty lectures on marriage, commitment or divorce, yet it underlines the fact that marriage is serious business,” he feels.
Perizaad Zorabian, who has returned to acting after a four-year sabbatical, flashes a smile and says: “I was keen to return to work, and luckily around that time Feroz got in touch with me for this play. An instant nod was my only reply.”
Tisca Chopra, too, points out to the script and the director as the biggest trump card of the play. “Feroz is a name to reckon with in the theatre world and the play stands out for substance-oriented entertainment. Both the factors make an irresistible combination,” she says.
Coming to the men, Joy Sengupta and Vinay Jain play husbands to the two glamorous women. “Thankfully, it does not give heavy duty lectures or treads the gender bias path. Rather staying away from clichés, it highlights the individual point of view and is introspectional in nature. In a way, it’s a good reality check,” says Joy. “Without getting too serious, the play raises relevant questions that we inevitably end up asking ourselves. The answer probably lies in making us understand that relationship should not be taken for granted,” says Vinay.