Unwind with some satirical theatre mid-week in Mumbai

A scene from Iss Desh Ka Yaaro Kya Kehna

How can you argue with the endeavours of the best theatre company in Mumbai - as mentioned on their website - Rangshila Theatre Group? The company starts the new month with two Hindi satirical comedies - Refund and Iss Desh Ka Yaaro Kya Kehna - at Juhu's Prithvi Theatre. But instead of hosting the nataks over the weekend, they will be conducting two shows of each play right in the middle of the week - today and tomorrow.

A prior run of Refund

A deliberate decision? The group's founder and director Avneesh Mishra, affirms our query. While weekends are reserved for socialising, visiting new places, attending events or resting, weekday evenings are truly meant for unwinding after a hard day's work. He emphasises the importance of such nataks mid-week as a way to blow off steam. "Living in a metropolitan city with long-working hours can be very stressful. Besieged with worries on all sides, these plays are meant for those who take time out post their nine-to-five jobs to attend a satirical or comedy play whether for 15 or 60 minutes, to feel fresh." Good and steady responses to shows, he adds, are testament to this observation.

Considering that laughter is the best medicine, does comedy theatre feel the need to compete with stand-up, now a popular genre with shows hosted throughout the week and across city venues? Mishra notes that the merit lies in the two being completely different genres with different audiences. Comedy in theatre presents storytelling and the audience is taken through a range of emotions where they may cry and laugh.

Avneesh Mishra

While Refund is a satire on the education system wherein the lead character asks his school for a refund after realising flaws in his schooling, in Iss Desh Ka Yaaro Kya Kehna, two professionals find their vocation in being vagrants as a comment on the class divide. The director notes how both plays look at serious issues in a humorous way, through narration and music. "They ask pertinent questions about society and look at problems in a light manner which sometimes is a better way to probe and address them. It makes it easier to think about a problem in a new way, be more open to accepting it, and also leave with a message instead of presenting the issue in a harsh and serious manner," he concludes.

On: March 1 and 2; 6.30 pm and 9 pm
At: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 350