Changing realities

Quiz Shah about the concept and he says with a smile,“It’s very simple. We see what we see but we miss out the finest details. Our lives are loaded with preconceived notions about everything that cloud our judgement and appreciation of everything around us. Mahajan,Darshan tries to make this point with the help of four stories.”

Mahajan is about three generations of a Mahajan’s family (a village leader). But unlike popular conception (that of Mahajans being villains who torture the farmers and usurp the property of villagers) this story takes a look at a family that is honest,caring and helps out the poor and needy. The head of the kin,the Mahajan,values relationships and human beings and becomes divine for the villagers.

Darshan,comprises three short plays,based on the concept of general semantics that was introduced by American philosopher and scientist Alfred Korzybski in 1919. It explores a human being’s reaction to his environment. It’s a scientific method that analyses our existence and facilitates a better understanding of our relationships. Darshan explores the relation between language,thought and behaviour. It shows how an individual’s conversation and language influence his thinking and consequently his actions. Though Mahajan is predominantly in Gujarati,Darshan uses other languages like Hindi,English,Marathi and Tamil.

While the first story is about a murder that takes place in a chawl due to water shortage,the second focusses on a corporate man’s quest for success and the concluding story is about a teacher who helps a young girl discover her true identity.

Shah approached both these plays in diverse ways. While for Mahajan,he roped in Ahmedabad-based writer Raghuveer Chaudhury,who has penned several novels and does literary reviews in a Gujarati daily,for Darshan he approached a comparatively lesser-known writer Jayesh Sheth,who has written essays on theatre stalwart Vijay Tendulkar. The director says,“ I needed someone with a traditional bent of mind for Mahajan and a contemporary outlook for Darshan.”

Chaudhury,who had seen Shah’s iconic play Master Phoolmani in the United States 11 years ago,was aware of the latter’s work. Shah contacted him and the duo soon realised that both of them were eager to depict something traditional through their work. “It took us approximately 11 months to write and conceptualise this story. We first focussed on getting the title as once that is sorted,you get a lot of clarity.”

But work didn’t stop there for Shah. He realised that Mahajan would have more impact if he juxtaposed it with a contemporary topic. “I started reading about general semantics and decided to rope in Jayesh Sheth to pen the script. I gave him a brief about what I wanted and also a book on general semantics. He came back to me with the play within three months.”

Apart from the approach,there is a stark contrast in the presentation of both the plays. Mahajan has several crowd scenes. At a time,there are around 35-40 people on stage. “Since it’s a joint family everyone solves problems collectively and loves to laugh,cry and quarrel together.” In Darshan,there are just two or three people on stage as it highlights how everyone is alienated in a contemporary society.

Shah explains,“For Mahajan,I had to focus on the play’s composition and choreography. The biggest challenge was to manage the crowd on stage. This was the first time I was handling so many people on stage. We had to undergo vigorous rehearsals and the play needed more time and attention.”

Mahajan,Darshan has an ensemble cast comprising new faces. Shah says,“I like to introduce new faces and it’s quite challenging to work with them.”

Apart from his innovative concepts,Shah is also known for familiarising the audience with Gujarati culture and penning only Gujarati plays. He says nonchalantly,“All literary greats have written works in their mother-tongue. Then why can’t I make my plays in mine? Firstly,I am very comfortable in it and secondly it’s the best form of expression. The audiences have always welcomed my expressions.”