Hollywood actors perform in Bengaluru theatre festival

Denzil Smith, Lillete Dubey, Suchitra Pillai and Sarah Hashmi. / Courtesy Photo

‘Unmask - A Fair with Theatre’ debuted at St. John’s auditorium in Bengaluru between Jan.24 and Jan.26, to resounding success. It brought outstanding theatre to the denizens of the city. It gave Bengaluru residents an opportunity to witness the mesmerizing performance by top notch actors like Denzil Smith, Lillete Dubey, Suchitra Pillai and Sarah Hashmi.  

On Jan.25, they premiered ‘Autobiography’, a play directed by Hollywood and Bollywood actor director Lillete Dubey. 

‘Autobiography’ took the audience through the lives of four characters. The pathos of their lives, the jealousies, cowardice and lost opportunities are played out on a nuanced and multi layered plane. The play opens with a celebrated freedom fighter author and poet, dictating his autobiography. The stage is split into two, with one part forming the living room of Anantrao Rajadhyaksha’s ex-wife, Uttara. Dubey herself plays the role of Uttara, wife of the renowned author whose living room occupies the other half of the stage. The two had a childless marriage of 30 years when it unraveled. 

The subject of discussion is the publication of letters exchanged by the couple during their divorce proceedings. He inadvertently triggers her into publishing his letters by requesting the opposite. She in a state of pique has gone right ahead, thereby making them the talk of the town.

Just as the audience thinks that this is going to play out as a sad autobiography of a once great and now-not-so-great author the narrative takes an unexpected turn. Rajadhyaksha reveals that his wife Uttara’s little sister, Vasanti, played by Suchitra Pillai, had a love relationship with him right under the nose of her sister. He has written the scene in his book as he imagined it playing out between the two sisters. “Get Out of my house right now,” he imagines his wife shouting, “Do you want to see your tai (older sister) light herself on fire!!” The sister moves out to a boyfriend’s home. His wife leaves him the same night as well.

The two sisters, back together many years later, recall what actually did happen between them that night. The she-said-he-said scenarios play out contrasting each person’s selective memory of the night’s events. 

The surprising ending of the play draws a gasp of dismay from the audience. The sorrow of lost opportunities and thereby lost joys made tears roll down the cheeks of some audience members. 

Mahesh Elkunchwar, the playwright

Mahesh Elkunchwar a highly acclaimed Indian playwright along with Vijay Tendulkar, is credited to be one of the most influential and progressive playwrights not just of Marathi theatre, but also of Indian theatre at large. 

In 2014, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in performing arts in India.
He is the recipient of several other awards too including the Saraswati Samman and the Kalidas Samman and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award amongst others. 

Lillete Dubey: producer, director & actor extraordinaire 

Award winning Hollywood and Bollywood actor-director Lillete Dubey a beloved face in both national and international productions like ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’, ‘Gadar’, ‘Baghban’, ‘Zubeida’, ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1& 2 ‘, ‘ Indian Summers’ (Channel 4 UK), and many, many others, Dubey has acted in over 50 plays from Brecht to the Bard.

She has pioneered the platforming of original Indian writing in English, showcasing work by some of India's most outstanding Playwrights.
Her award-winning production ‘Dance Like a Man’ has completed 680 shows worldwide over five continents, and is the longest running Indian English play.

Suchitra Pillai, plays the sister-in-law, Vasanti

Suchitra Pillai, a graduate in electronic engineering, worked as a hostess at Taj’s premier restaurant Bombay Brasserie in London as a young 21-year-old girl. She had a portfolio that she whipped out hoping she would get a chance at acting. Today 35 years later, as a renowned actress with four Hollywood films and movies like Dil Chahta Hai, Page 3 ,Laaga Chunari Mein Daag , Marigold , Tikli and Laxmi Bomb, Calendar girls,  Dasvidanya and Fashion to name a few under her belt she came to Bangalore as one of the leads in the play directed by the renowned Bollywood actress and theatre personality Lillete Dubey. 

Denzil Smith, plays the once great and now-not-so-great author Rajadhakshya

The list of movies Denzil Smith, a Hollywood and Bollywood actor has acted in is long: Micheal O Sajbel’s “One Night with the King” with Omar Sharif, Kruti Majumdar’s “The Memsahib” , S. Bhushan Kumar’s “Frozen”, Vikram Bhatt’s “Mumbai Salsa”, Ritesh Batra’s “Lunchbox” and “Photograph” , Anurag Kashyap’s “Bombay Velvet”,  Kabir Khan’s “Phantom”, John Madden’s “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, Gurinder Chadha’s “Viceroy’s House” amongst others. 

He has played the lead in over 30 stage productions and movies. 

Sarah Hashmi, plays Pradnya, the sassy autobiography recorder

Sarah Hashmi, a proud Delhiite who belongs to the theatre legacy of Safdar Hashmi has been performing plays since the age of 10. After finishing her studies, she moved to Bombay to pursue a career in acting and has been a part of films like Dil Dhadakne Do, Bombay Talkies and Bebaak. Sarah also has a Filmfare under her name for her short film Bebaak. 

The play ‘Autobiography’ is headed to Opera House, Mumbai on Feb.2.

Unmask, A- Fair with theatre, a blend of celebrity performances, interactive talks, street plays and much more was curated by Venture Theatres. 

“I wish I could watch the play I saw last night, one more time,” said Rajiv, an unsatiated theatregoer.

Still from the play, Autobiography. / Courtesy Photo