The Weekend That Was…

Don’t know whether to put it as last weekend or this weekend – basically I am talking about the weekend that just went by. It was in all probability one of the busiest in the past 6 months or so and undoubtedly one of the best.

To begin with:

Take 1: Kicked off Saturday evening with watching “Seeds and Flowers” at Ranga Sharda (Bandra). The play is produced and en-acted by a theatre group from the US called Krea and is based on life-experiences of two Indian couples settled in US and working hard towards fulfilling the so-called “American Dream”.

Frankly speaking, I was a little apprehensive going along with friends who do not share the same fondness for theatre as I do and so was worried that they wouldn’t appreciate the effort of these young folks who had flown across seven seas to showcase their talent and that too for a good cause. But little did I know that they would end up liking it much more than me.

Seeds and Flowers beautifully illustrates - real people, real relationships and their very real struggles. The story is well-scripted and the director has done an equally fantastic job by paying attention to the very minute details. The set was very well-designed and did its job of creating the “right” surroundings as and when required. Each and every character was there with a purpose and the actors effortlessly walked thru their parts; especially Dheepa who not only is responsible for Direction but superbly played the role of Priya, a woman caught between failures of her husband and her own aspirations.

The down-side, the sound quality was a little shoddy. Special attention should have been given here considering the stage at Ranga Sharda is quite big, plus it’s more of an auditorium and less off a theatre. At times I felt certain actors stepped a bit over their character (or maybe it was just their accent). And then there was this disturbance caused by late-arrivals, some almost 30 minutes into the show.

Seeds and Flowers, on the whole was very impressive in most aspects, be it on stage or behind the scenes. Many of us, especially those belonging to the corporate culture would easily be able to relate to the situations and the decisions taken by ones caught up in the enigma called ‘Life’.

Take 2: Soon as the play got done, headed off to Ms. Super Sexy cum Ultra Popular Blog Celebrity (also fondly known as Desi-Paris Hilton) Melody’s birthday bash. Known for her top-notch party skills, one can only expect the best from her. Met up with friends, made some new friends, listened to World Space (ignoring the suicidal songs) and indulged myself in delicious Manglorian Chicken Curry and Goan Pork dish.

Later on some of us, including the birthday gal headed off to a lounge in Phoenix Mills called “Rah”, which was good till the DJ started off with Bollywood remixes. It’s weird you know, not that I am snooty or anything, I love Bollywood and Bollywood Music but I have realized that without gulping down couple of LITs the music doesn’t sound as good. As a friend mentioned, “You look like the distracted sorts…” And yes, you read it correct; yours truly has given up the habit of party-boozing and if “Why” is what you ask, think of it as my sabbatical leave or something.

Around 2.00 am, we all were kicked out of the club by the un-cool havaldars but on the bright side, our boys were daring enough to fight with the club’s management and get our money back. Still not satisfied with the late-night (or early morning) lafanga-giri, we parked our butts on this guy’s bean bags and had some veggie conversations over chilled mixed-fruit juice and emphasized on the benefits of eating “Baingans”.

Take 3: What does one do when they get cozy in soft-Kashmiri blanket at 4.00 am? Well….most of us snore. Better half of Sunday was passed lazing around, another important realization: Never ever have I had such intense hangover and that too with mixed-fruit juice. Sheeks! Who would have thought!

In the evening, along with some family ladies I was at Prithvi Theatre….to watch the hugely successful Obie-Award winning play, The Vagina Monologues (TVM), by Eve Ensler. The Indian adaptation is done by A Poor-Box Productions and is directed by the ever-so charming Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal.

Every time TVM is showcased at Prithvis, without an exaggeration all shows go houseful with tickets booked out many days in advance. And after experiencing first hand this 90 minutes of highly amusing yet powerful interaction, to me its immense success is truly justified. Not that I am the first one or will be the last one to say this but I sincerely recommend you all to watch TVM and believe me – the next time you hear the word, ‘V-A-G-I-N-A’, you would think of it much more than the female anatomy.

Special Mentions:

1. Chennai is full of Assholes.

2. Jayati Bhatia is simply awesome and her monologue on different kinds of orgasms is nothing short of a masterpiece.

3. My Short Skirt – the ONLY monologue which was performed in Hindi and talked about how illogical is the reason that “short skirts” are the main culprits behind gruesome crimes such as Rape and Molestation.

4. Proceeds from the play go to NGOs supporting Abused and Battered Women.

5. By watching The Vagina Monologues, you will not only be educating your brain but also pleasing your soul.

At the end of it all, a classic weekend and above all a memorable one and Ms. Mumbai Oberoi, once again wishing you the very best in everything that you do.