Some =
moments to smile=20
after all
| Aakar Kala Sangam's latest production "Chammak =
Challo",=20
presented at New Delhi's LTG auditorium this past =
week, just=20
about managed to evoke some laughter, says DIWAN SINGH =
BAJELI.=20
|
![](3D"http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2005/03/11/images/2005031101=)
A scene from =
"Chammak=20
Challo."
AAKAR KALA Sangam's latest production of =
Mail=20
Simon's Star-Spangled Girl as "Chammak Challo", presented at =
the LTG=20
auditorium this past week was able to partially able to =
bring the=20
inherent comic element of the original to the fore. Instead =
of=20
evoking boisterous laughter, the production managed to offer =
some=20
moments to smile. Kala Sangam's earlier production "Aur Agle =
Saal"=20
received critical appreciation. Acting was its high point =
while=20
"Chammak Challo" was marred by weak acting.=20
Simon, the American playwright, is a most =
successful writer of comedies and musicals. He has to his =
credit a=20
number of hits. But critical acclaim came to him quite late. =
His=20
"Lost in Yonkers" (1991) won the trophy for best play as =
well as the=20
Pulitzer Prize. Its film version was released in 1993. As =
far as=20
Delhi's audience is concerned, it has witnessed Simon's "The =
Good=20
Doctor" (1973), which is an adaptation from short stories by =
Anton=20
Chekhov. The "Star-Spangled Girl" is not a successful work =
by Simon.=20
In any case, the Hindi adaptation by Danish Khan exudes =
Indian=20
colour as well as milieu.=20
Directed by Ramesh Manchanda with light =
design by=20
Suresh Bhardwaj, both of whom are the alumni of the National =
School=20
of Drama and experienced theatre practitioners, "Chammak =
Challo"=20
presents three characters on the stage. Ankush is the =
publisher of a=20
magazine which seeks to bring about social change and Prem =
is the=20
only writer whose articles appear under different names. We =
also=20
know about the fourth character through telephonic =
conversation of=20
Ankush with a girl who happens to be in love with him. In =
fact, she=20
is the daughter of the landlord of Ankush. He feigns as her =
lover=20
with the ulterior motive to delay the payment of the rent of =
his=20
office space. Ankush is frantically pestering the writer to =
complete=20
his work before it is too late.=20
In=20
shambles=20
The lives of the publisher and the writer =
are in=20
shambles. There is little in the conversations and =
interactions to=20
amuse the audience. However, the production comes to life =
with the=20
entry of Soni, a queer character, from a small town who =
wants to=20
make it big in the city. For the writer it is love at first =
sight.=20
The central conflict is between the writer and the girl from =
the=20
small town.=20
Prem is portrayed as a country bumpkin. =
There is=20
not an iota of trait in him to be accepted as a prolific =
writer with=20
deep social commitment. Despite insults, physical =
maltreatments by=20
the police at the instance of the small town girl, he =
continues to=20
resort to his antics, hoping to win over the heart of the =
girl. Had=20
he been painted as a cynical intellectual and his love as =
the folly=20
of a writer, the character would have evoked laugher. The =
delivery=20
of lines by male performers tends to be flat. They do not =
use pauses=20
and gags to comic effect. However, the evening is dominated =
by Maya=20
Sharma who plays the role of Soni, the bold, clever and =
smart girl=20
trained in karate which she uses as a means of livelihood =
and=20
self-defence.
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Bangalore Chennai and Tamil Nadu =
Delhi Hyderabad Thiruvananthapuram =20
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