Battle of Wits

THE stage is bathed in mellow lighting that imparts a warm ambience to a living room where an elderly man is ensconced in a large, well-padded single-seater sofa. Khushaal Mehndi is glued to a cacophonous programme on TV because he has nothing better to do. When the TV goes on the blink, he is helpless. Like most citizens his age, he is not too adept at handling new gizmos, including the sofa which has a leg rest that juts out suddenly if he inadvertently presses a button on its side. The phone on his table is a black landline with which he manages to get small jobs done. The scene is set for Purane Chawal, a sparkling Indian adaptation of the Neil Simon comedy, Sunshine Boys, produced by D for Drama and directed by Sumeet Vyas for the recently concluded Prithvi Festival in Mumbai.
With the always dependable Kumud Mishra and Shubrajyoti Barat playing the lead roles, Purane Chawal is about two actors past their prime. Once, Mehndi and Vijay Das had reigned supreme as comic actors. Their partnership saw them, unfailingly, bring the house down for 42 years. But suddenly, one not so fine day, Vijay Das (known as VD), called it quits. He had had enough of doing the same play, day in and day out. And he thrust his decision on his co-actor without consulting him. It was a betrayal Mehndi never forgave. "He decided to retire and forced retirement upon me as well. I was not ready for retirement," he tells Vicky, his nephew-cum-manager, bitterly. Indeed, becoming a couch potato and surviving on bun-maska and chai are not really Mehndi's cup of tea. Ten years down the line, he is still rearing to go and waits eagerly for the phone to ring, with offers of roles in theatre, cinema or even ads.
Esta historia es de la edición December 01, 2023 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 01, 2023 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Art of Leaving
Saying goodbye to the public arena is no easy call to make

Mortar Memory
Along the quiet stretches near the border and the Line of Control in Jammu, a fragile calm once held sway, until the sudden thunder of heavy mortar shells since May 7 shattered it

Borders on the Boil
Whether it is Pakistan, China, Bangladesh or Myanmar, the unfinished business of history haunts the region every day

Neighbourhood 'Frisk' Policy
India needs to relook at Bangladesh as it partners with China to rebuild World War II air bases

Fields of Nowhere
MYAJLAR is one of the last towns on the Jaisalmer border, which, at 464 km, is one of the longest that India shares with Pakistan.

Brittle, Bitter Borders
In the marshlands of the Rann of Kutch, where the border is invisible yet hotly contested, belongingness becomes tentative

Red Fade
Since the regime change, something has been changing in Chhattisgarh. With top Maoist leaders killed, the remaining are insisting on a ceasefire or peace talks. The state must make the most of the situation

Sir Creek and Adam's Bridge
With the recent military standoff between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 people, the Indo-Pak border region with its long history of tensions is once again in the limelight.

Lines Drawn in Blood
In villages caught between two nations, memory and fear shape everyday life. The land is under floodlights, children are sent away in silence, and home is a place one must keep returning to

Maps and Minds
Maps have divided transnational ethnic groups Nagas, Zos, Bhutias, Bengalis and Nepalis, among others, but the Naga or the Zo mind does not accept the boundaries on government maps