20 November,2009 07:32 AM IST | | Priyanjali Ghose
Mahesh Dattani, now directing a stage adaptation of The Alchemist, tells miD day what's happening at the rehersals
The city will witness an Indian avatar of Santiago from Paulo Coelho's famous book 'The Alchemist', this Sunday. Mahesh Dattani, the first playwright in English to win the Sahitya Akademi award will present the play under Ashvin Gidwani productions. LONG WALK: Paul Coelho's novel The Alchemist is all about dreaming and hope, and Mahesh Dattani is directing it for Ashwin Gidvani Productions
Gidwani says, "Getting the director, adaptor, artists and production team to adapt a novel to a theatrical production was a challenge. Although we have been given creative freedom to interpret it, we have to maintain certain guidelines for production."
The director's say
We caught up with the director to share his experience in turning a famous fiction into a play.
Why did you choose The Alchemist?
Bringing the Alchemist to stage is entirely Ashvin's idea. In a sense, The Alchemist on stage is his brainchild and I am nurturing it! Ashvin believed in it and approached the author's agents for rights long before I came into the picture. When he offered the project to me to direct I was filled with trepidation. The book was far too famous and popular. The stage version was bound to be compared to the book.
However, Ashvin's enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I took it on.
Since it is a very popular book, how easy or difficult is to stage it as a form of play?
The story of The Alchemist and Santiago's encounter with the man already has enough dramatic potential. I decided to treat it as an adventure story on the likes of classics like Ulysses. However the visual language for the play needed careful designing. I did not want it to be realistic and at the same time I am not very fond of abstruse elements in theatre that more often than not come off as pretentious.
After several meetings with set designer Omung Kumar, Lighting designer Inayat Ali Sami and Sound designer Kabir Singh I gave it an operatic scale that could then encompass the simple journey of the boy across the desert and into his own being. A lot of his introspection on stage could have turned out very wordy. I decided to have it sung.
So we roped in Kaizad Gherda and Kabir Singh to compose original music to be sung. To me the music of K and K completed the picture and evoked the right emotions. So yes, it has been a difficult process but an extremely satisfying one working with such a highly charged creative team.
Who translated it? Is this the first time you are staging The Alchemist?
The adaptation has been done by Deepa Gahlot. In fact only on reading her adaptation did I finally agree to take it on. Deepa's adaptation had the right dramaturgy required for ti to work on stage. After a few more drafts it was ready. Also, I made the actors improvise some scenes to give it a life energy. The scene in the African bazaar is entirely improvised by the actors.
Who are the actors?
We have Mohan Kapur playing The Alchemist. I cannot imagine anyone else in the role! Asif Ali Beg is the singing alter ego of Santiago.
He is truly mesmeric. And we now have Kaizad Gherda, who composed the music and the lyrics playing Santiago. Kaizad's performance brings a dramatic energy to the production as his character arrives at a moment of epiphany when he turns himself into the wind.
For how long have you been working at it?
It took me about six months of my time from concept to opening night.
What was most challenging thing while staging the novel?
To me the most challenging thing was to make it work as a piece of theatre. Very often when novels are dramatized, they still reek of their literary strengths. The action needs to come alive on stage and the words need to sound spontaneous. This was a challenge I threw open to the cast as well.
How do you think an Indian audience will relate to it and have you made any improvisations?
I was extremely careful in retaining the original map of Santiago's journey. Since the journey is a metaphor anyway, I didn't feel it necessary to transpose the setting closer home. Indian audiences relate to its timeless and universal appeal. It is about following your dreams. That is what the new world is about. And so a lot of Indians find it speaks to them.
What kind of response are you expecting?
I am counting on my home town to encourage and support this mammoth endeavour. I expect them to show up.
Is it easier to stage plays of authors from India or abroad?
Depends on the author. Some books simply don't lend themselves to the stage. They are meant to be read. More books tend to work as cinema rather than theatre primarily because of the narrative style and shifting points of view.
What inspires you from 'The Alchemist'?
Apart from the universe conspiring to help you achieve what you dream for, there is plenty more in the story. Making your own decisions, yet understanding the language of the world; Enjoy the beauty of the world and yet remember to follow your dreams etc.
Atu00a0 Christ University
Onu00a0 November 22, 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm
Callu00a0 98800 36611
Ticketsu00a0 Rs 2000, Rs 1000, Rs 500 andu00a0 Rs 300
