Bridging the generation gap
Their chemistry on stage is admirable. And when you meet them off stage, you realise that behind that amazing chemistry is an understanding and respect for each other’s talent, skills and way of thinking. It makes sense then that Ila Arun’s recent play Namaste, directed by K.K. Raina, extends a similar message — the need to respect everyone’s beliefs and values, even if they differ from your own.
Ila dedicated the play, adapted from Tom Dudzick’s play Greetings, to Dr Suresh Goel, Director General ICCR, on his 60th birthday when he retired.
Asked the reason behind portraying such a serious issue in the form of a comedy, Ila shares, “There are two reasons actually. First is my observation as a writer; how I see the changes taking place around me. And another reason was the fact that people don’t come to the theatre anymore. They think it’s very serious stuff. There, humour helps make a heart-touching story accessible to a wider audience as people connect more to comedy.”
The thought-provoking play got a standing ovation from the audience, including famous personalities like Dr Karan Singh and actor and parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha.
However, Namaste made a plea to the audience — to reinvent their value system in light of the changing reality.
“The intention behind this play was to emphasise the need for a conversation between the old and the new. What we see happen around us is that the youth is rejecting everything without having a valid reason for that, and the old people want youngsters to believe in their old values and principles without giving them the rationale behind them. This leads to a gap in communication that worries me, as I believe that an interaction is crucial even if it’s in the form of an argument,” says K.K. Raina, the director who also plays a key role of a rigid old man in the play.
Agreeing with Raina, Ila adds, “This play tries to build a bridge between the traditional and the modern and tells each side the relevance of the other’s perspective. At the same time, it creates a confrontation between belief and non-belief, while trying to reinforce the idea of miracles.”
One striking facet of the play was the use of at least three languages on stage by a cast of six. Talking about this relevance of language in theatre, Raina added, “Characters in a play need to look real in flesh and blood to make any real impact and language is an important tool to that end. In this play, I knew that Awadhi flavour would make Ila’s character much more interesting because of the fantastic tonal quality and sounds of that language.
“Also, the use of English was necessary too; because fortunately or unfortunately, English connects better with today’s youth,” he concludes.
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