Shikayla Gelo Ek

The only memory I have ever relished about going to watch a play is that of me uttering the word “Hello” out loud when the bell for the play goes and curtains open. I was three. And the bell sounded exactly like the ring of a telephone back in the eighties. The effect, everyone including the performers laughed out loud. Over the years, my parents would bring this up as an endearing memoir.

Fast forward to today evening. We went to watch a play starring the very popular Prashant Damle in Shikayla Gelo Ek that got performed the 13,309^th time! The bell rang. Luckily, I am no more three and the thousand and one mobile phone ringtones have taught me better than to say hello each time I hear the bell go.

From the minute the play began, it was a laugh riot. I identified the two main characters as my husband and me. The mains were played by two men, one a highly civilised teacher living and breathing high morals and values, Sane Guruji, and the other, an unexpected over-grown student, Shyam, who belongs to a tier two city, is the son of a political leader, is least interested in education and is the exact opposite of the teacher in question.

As the play went on to juxtapose the differences in the values, habits and lives of the two men, I couldn’t help but identify similarities in the character of Shyam with myself, portraying his many idiosyncrasies and bold interactions with the very structured edifice of values represented by the teacher, aka my spouse. From ideas about education, civilization and success to using all facets of one’s personality when trouble hits home, I was Shyam in my head. I am not sure if I am proud of this comparison though. But all the way from imagining drama in his head to cursing and the perfect embodiment of bad habits with a noble heart, his character steals the show.

The teacher on the other hand shines with the various hats he wears as Shyam influences him with passing time. The tranitions in his personality from being the very strict and proud teacher he is shown to be, to a man discovering the various facets of his own self that may have stayed locked by self-created boundaries is mind blowing. And while references from both, the traditional image of a teacher and the unavoidable influences of a student who is a social media addicted buffoon are relatable, and keep the audience on the edge of their seats with a very crisp script, it is the layers of the play that keep adding deeper meaning.

It felt like peeling layers of an onion to travel to a new facet of both the teacher and student as they become other’s friends and interchangeable gurus helping the other to set free a forgotten part of their selves as both humans and as men, but eventually circling back to being who they are, albeit, with positive changes.

As the play ends predictably with the student passing his grade 10, I am reminded of the many scenes of slapstick comedy that has been effectively used to plug the play permanently in the hearts of the audience. Scenes where the audience is asked to imagine cars blowing up in the background as the character walks in angrily, portraying a bold attitude while things fly up in slow motion, are repeated a few times ending in unexpected anti-climax each time, scoring highly on surprise and freshness.

I must admit it was one of the best three hours of entertainment. There was an insane amount of laughter at every line with some strokes of genius that elevated the play to the next level. But it was ultimately the stage presence of the actors, supporting cast included, especially the non-verbal cues, live singing, chemistry and knowing the pulse of the viewers by giving them something so stunningly relatable yet fresh.

P.S. You grow up in a city like Mumbai, observing the different cultures and people alike. One fine day you move to a foreign country and forget all about those peculiar observations. And then, thanks to your Marathi spouse, you watch a play like this. That’s when the ephemeral layers of characters observed from the past come to life and your enjoyment levels surpass all expectations. Kudos to team Shikayla Gelo Ek!