Exploring the new face of Gujarati Theatre with MANOJ SHAH
"HUTO ANE HUTI...OH YAA."
PREMIERED at PRITHVI FESTIVAL'07 on 9/OCT
Manoj bhai is among the very few Gujarati’s who do not require any kind of introduction. So lets hear what he has to say about his upcoming and yet another Gujarati musical, “HUTO ANE HUTE…OH YAA.”
Q: Where did the idea of scripting this play come from?
A: “We were looking for a play which embodied and reflected western culture and western values. Now it has been some 7 to 8 years since the seed of this play sprouted in my mind. I wanted Chandu (Chandrakant Shah) to write such a play for me and at that time Chandu did a play called “KHELAIYA” for small kids, after which we did “MASTER PHOOLMANI”. It was totally different in the sense that the play was completely performed by elderly people. After doing Phoolmani I travelled a lot in terms of doing different plays like “AKHO AAKHA BOLO” then I did “MIRANDE” then “MAREEZ”, “GUJARAT NI ASHMITA” and “APURVA AVSAR”.
Q: How did Prithvi Theatre get involved with the production of the play?
A: “Just when my tour to the U.S.A was getting arranged I met Sanjana Kapoor. She told me that as I had done lots of musicals, she wanted me to do one for Prithvi Festival’07. During that time the idea was that I already had a play ready i.e. “GUJARAT NI ASHMITA” where there were 42 to 45 actors and 15 musicians. But after doing “APURVA AVSAR” I realized that if you want your play to run for a longer period of time, then you have to have a play like MINIMULISTIC CONTEMPORARY. This is relevant because now a days when everything has to minimize in contemporary art, pure performance should be seen.
There was some understanding between me and Chandu. It was decided that he will write something. So when I went for “APURVA AVSAR” tour, we just discussed a bit and I was very excited that he will script me a play but he did not. I was disappointed but to my utter surprise when I returned back after finishing my tour, he was ready with the play, then he send me a page, then a scene, then I started receiving scenes after scenes, so I was again in the same situation as PHOOLMANI where I used to receive FAX everyday and this time the only difference is that I am receiving the play on e-mail… sometimes I receive a page, maybe half (page), but everything on e-mail.
Q: How will this play appeal to the audiences?
A: “I was very excited about doing a play with youngsters because of the frightening fact that nowadays kids don’t speak Gujarati, and if by chance these kids come to see the play at Bhaidas or Tejpal, they find them dull and boring. Thus they end up disliking the play. The reason behind this is that they are looking for something which is related to them, with their problems, their happiness, which fits in their culture… where they can express and have fun. They want to see something with which they can identify. So I created this play in such a way that a 16 year old kid can come with his girlfriend to see it and I am certain that it will make them feel like they are very much at Barista, Café Coffee Day or Night Disco. Along with them parents will also come to know what their child is thinking, what he/she really is, as well as what he/she wants to be in terms of individual personality. Parents are also bound to enjoy the play because the issues about which they are not able to talk freely with their children are all narrated and represented here. It’s not just a talk on cultural exchanges, but a talk on generation exchanges. The style of the play is all stated in contemporary sense… its costumes, lights, sets, and property… everything. This play is for those who want to live, enjoy and feel the performance.
Q: Whose idea was it, to make such a play?
A: “In our group there is a singer Dr. Parag Jhaveri, who performed in Phoolmani, and he was very excited about doing such a play. Also Chiraj Vora was very eager to do one more musical after Phoolmani. So if Chirag wouldn’t have forced me to do this play I might have not done it because I was totally accosted and blank after Apurva Avsar, as I was almost bank corrupt. I thought I might as well take a break for at least a year and think of doing something after that, because I was in such a mental state that I wanted to go home and take little bit of rest. But I was in America and Chirag was here. He being very excited to do this play kept on calling me up a lot. Then there was Prateek who was very excited and eager to choreograph but unfortunately his hand is fractured right now. So it was very much a group and team effort and excitement which made me do this play. But of course if there wouldn’t have been the Prithvi Fest attraction then this production would not have been possible. So hearty thanks to Prithvi Festival and Santana Kapoor. Because still I haven’t been able to come out of the intercollegiate atmosphere convincing myself that I will do a play for a Fest as well (laughs). So it’s like if 10 people are doing a play then I should also do it, and that kind of stimulus I got from Prithvi because we have such an exemplary audience at Prithvi.
Q: Tell us about the Casts?
A: I select the actors who they are and how they fit into my script, so that the script gets evolved them so I work in all production like that. So I work with live actors not the return world which is printed. So it makes sense to me about the actors which whom I am working with, whom I know very well, they know me very well so this is how I work. for one of female character I have auditioned over 30 girls which were Bengali, Marathi, South Indian and gave add on website also then finally I found a Gujarati girl call Shruti Gholap. So, these are four people whom I know from years except Shruti Gholap with whom I did only one play befor, but I have worked a lot with Kumkum (Das), with Chiraj (Vora) and with Amit (Mistry) I have spent time with him a lot, because he is also very much a part of the team… he also acted in one of my play, so we are like a gang.
So, Manoj Shah is back with his team and his Gujarati Band at this Mumbai Musical Prithvi Festival 2007.
My experience: Was involved in this play as a helping hands, because I dint wanted to miss the opportunity to work with Manoj sir and nothing but the best was expected out of him, So was very excited that his play turns out to be one of the main attractions at the Prithvi Fest and it did, a part from Actors performance audience really appreciated Piyush Kanojia’s music and Bahutesh Vyas’s lights.
Our sincere thanks to Mr. Manoj Shah for providing us with the details of the play, and I am sure people who missed this performance at Prithvi won’t repeat the same mistake again when it’s performed next.
You can watch glimpse of HUTO ANE HUTE…OH YAA on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXN5A2AulE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh3lDncSigc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx2R20Li0U8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7WWcjOnX4c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpG2FnETl2o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdNSf55qKJU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oc41EtQKjA
Interviewed by
Ankur B. Saraiya
(Date: 08/November, 2007)
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