10 July,2011 07:45 AM IST | | Sowmya Rajaram
Funnyman Cyrus Broacha returns to theatre after 10 years as a flamboyant homosexual
Cyrus Broacha is back on stage after a break of 10 years from full-fledged theatre. Raell Padamsee's One Out of Six premieres at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) today at 7.30 pm. In it, Jo Pereira, a pompous dry cleaner, has to re-evaluate his life when his world collapses. His wife runs off with his brother, George, and when he heads to New York to seek his son Melvin's sympathy, he discovers that Melvin is gay. Pereira then hires a girl named Candy to 'rectify' the situation. But Rock, Melvin's lover finds himself succumbing to Candy's charms.
Cyrus Broacha rehearses at NCPA. PIC/ Atul Kamble
How do you interpret your character?
Although I'm ageing, it's Bugs (Bhargava, co-actor), who is playing Jo Pereira. I play Jo's son's lover. I should pay more attention when people offer me roles! While the son is a not-so-obvious homosexual, my character is flamboyant and lives up to the stereotype of a gay man. I know gay men who aren't that loud about their sexuality, so, I'm of the opinion that he should be flamboyant or reticent, depending on situations. Basically, there's a grand consensus that I know nothing about the character!
How was it returning to stage after a long time?
It was great, the process of working together without the pressure of TV deadlines. There's a romance -- you rehearse over six to seven weeks, and meet different people. You don't rush through things like you do with TV, so, people enjoy it more. Of course, I bunked quite a few rehearsals because the rehearsal space was moved to Santacruz (Broacha lives in SoBo). I realised that no role in the world is worth the travel, especially to be dressed in spandex and latex!
Any funny rehearsal stories?
I was supposed to end up with my posterior higher than my body, sort of like a dog, to make Jo awkward. Instead, my pants split! What actually happened was much funnier than what we were trying to do. The other day, during rehearsal, I dropped a line, and Bugs added a line that was hilarious. Moments like come up with every show, and that's what makes it fun.
Why did you decide to do this play?
I'm familiar with the original script, which deals with generic issues of relationships, and I think it'll work very well here. For instance, it's got a line by a male chauvinist who says, about his wife, -- "If I didn't love her, would I entrust her with the cash register?" That fits in so beautifully here.
The play is a laugh riot, but also deals with questions of homosexuality and family.
I think it's essentially about the father and the fact that the parents don't know how to adjust to their children's non-traditional choices. I think the father's character is the strongest in the play. It's his growth and acceptance of everything that you see. My part is an element of comedy, really.
What's the funniest scene?
I'm supposed to serve Jo breakfast, while he misunderstands it as me wanting to sleep with him. That's really funny. Considering how Bugs looks, he should be happy that someone wants to sleep with him at all!
