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The above quote was indeed
the central concept of the literary master pieces woven out by the wizard of
fiction Sir O Henry. Each of his stories took us down unexpected adventures of
life which he presented with ample dose of humor and wit. Sir Henry’s stories are
very relevant even in the contemporary times.
I was lucky to witness not just the enactment of his play but also its
modern interpretation by none other than the power house of talent Gulzar Saheb.
A
three day event celebrating Theater and literature, called the “Gulzar Theatre
Fiesta”
unveiled at Ductac Dubai. Commemorating American literary genius O
Henry, India’s very own living legend and lyrical maestro Gulzar Saheb,
scripted a beautiful ensemble of 4 plays adapted from O Henry’s lesser known
plays. The plays came to life and assumed a extremely enjoyable dimension under
the directorial guidance of Mumbai based director Salim Arif. Seasoned actors like Bakul
Kakkar, Vrajesh Hirjee, Lubna Salim and Nissar Khan captivated the audience
with their impeccable timing and impeccable acting. The set of 4 plays had been
Indianized and titled as Nuksha (The Love Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein ) Shaadi Kara Lo (The Exact Science of Matrimony), Madam (While
The Auto Waits) &
Bal Bal Bache (The
Barber Talks).The play started at
4.00 PM followed by RUBARU (face - to - face) with Gulzar at 8.00 PM.
The play opened with
Nuksha, a story about young love (between a retired military officers daughter
& an actor), competition between two suitors and the ultimately destiny
that favors the triumphant lover duo. This was followed by Shaadi Kar Lo where
two friends open a marriage bureau to make some easy bucks. Each applicant is
promised a wealthy & handsome match with a young widow (Neetu Pandey) for
some amount of money. As predicted the ending is comical and unpredictable. The
third play titled Madam with Lubna Salim as a wealthy lady’s handmaid
impersonating her mistress was the most entertaining, impactful and enthralling
act for me. Lubna Salim enthused, Gulzar Sahebs characterization of the maid
impersonating her mistress, with electrifying and lively energy. Last but not
the least the story Bal Bal Bache with Jamaal Khan as the tricky Barber was the
icing on the cake.
Gulzar Saheb’s simple,
comic and yet effective script, was performed expertly by the artist. What
added miles to my smile was that Gulzar Saheb was present to witness the
unfolding of the entire play and graced the occasion by coming up on stage to
join the entire crew in the end. As Gulzar Sahed descended from the box to come
down to the stage there was a slight delay. An apologetic Salim Arif said “intejar
ka phal mitha hota hai.” (The fruits of patience is always sweet). As everyone
in the audience awaited with bated breath to catch a glimpse of the living
legend, some in the audience screamed out “We can wait an eternity for him.”
Right then a humble Gulzar Sahed came onstage in his customary white attire and
the audience stood up to give a standing ovation.
