Gulzar's 1982 cult classic 'Angoor' is finally making a stage debut. Helming the play is the writer's long-time friend and collaborator, Salim Arif
We are in the midst of speaking to veteran lyricist and film director Gulzar at his Pali Hill bungalow when he lets us in on something he hasn't shared before. "I am a great admirer of this man," he says, pointing to theatre director Salim Arif, who is sitting right across him, in Gulzar's drawing room. "And I only trust him with my work."
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Arif almost blushes at the flattering remark, and the two go on to exchange a warm smile before Gulzar continues, "He always surprises me with what he does to my characters and stories on stage. I am confident he will do it again."
That Gulzar passed on the baton to Arif to recreate his 1982 cult classic Angoor — inspired from William Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors — that starred Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in twin roles, is reason enough to believe him. The new adaptation, Chakkar Chalaaye Ghanchakkar, will feature theatre actors Zeeshan Ayub and Swanand Kirkire, and will be staged later this month in Mumbai.
"There is a reason why I didn't allow for a stage remake of the film earlier," says the 81-year-old veteran writer. Personally, Gulzar felt that Kumar and Verma had set the bar too high for any other actor to replicate those performances. The other factor was the logistics, which demanded having to show twin characters and different locations, on stage.
"But, when Arif approached me, he came with a very logical question. He said, 'Gulzar saab, if it was written for theatre, it should be possible to recreate it on stage'. I had to agree," says Gulzar. "With a director like Arif to guide the actors, I knew it was in safe hands."
Chakkar Chala-aye Ghanchakkar is set in a small town in northern India. The plot revolves around two pairs of identical twins separated at birth, whose lives go haywire when they meet in adulthood. For the play, Gulzar has tightened the original script, while retaining some of the dialogues from the films. Though, there are a few new elements of surprise, says Arif. "The biggest challenge for me is to ensure that people forget the film within five minutes of watching the play. I want to hold on to the playfulness and carnival-like chaos of Angoor, but give them something new," the National School of Drama alumni adds.
Incidentally, this month also marks Arif's 15th year in theatre. His first work on stage was Kharaashein, which again was adapted from Gulzar's selection of poetry based on the Hindu-Muslim riots. Since then, they have worked on several theatre projects, including Lakeerein, Humsafar, Kachche Lamhe and Paansa. This association, however, goes back way further, when Arif worked as a costume designer for Gulzar's television drama Mirza Ghalib in 1988.
When it comes to theatre adaptations of his works, only Arif does justice to them, feels Gulzar. "He is very particular about never changing a word or line from my script. Even if he wants to add something new, he ensures that he crosschecks with me. And, because we understand each other so well, it becomes easier to work on a creative level," Gulzar says, adding that one reason he opted out of scripting for films is because these days, the director has greater control over the writer's work.
"The medium [film] is not in your hands anymore. I'd rather explore theatre."
When: July 23 and 24, 7.30 PM
Where: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre: NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs 300 – Rs 1,000
Call: 39895050
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