Manav Kaul's new play Chuhal will see him return on stage after 10 years. This light-hearted romance, also directed by him, explores the girl's side of the story
Manav is glad with the way Chuhal has shaped up, says he's enjoying all forms of acting now. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
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When we catch Manav Kaul at the end of a four-hour long rehearsal in a studio at Versova, he appears surprisingly upbeat. We're here to talk about Chuhal, his upcoming play, poised to open at the Prithvi Festival. Written and directed by Kaul, the play will see him return on stage as an actor, after 10 years — the last time was in 2006, for Peele Scooter Wala Aadmi where again, he had directed himself.
What does "chuhal" mean, we ask. "That's the first question everyone asks me," he laughs. "It means halki fulki baat-cheet," he says, adding that there can be no literal English translation for the term. "I would use it often in my daily vocabulary, the play also stemmed from some chuhal-baazi, you could say." This is Kaul's first play where he has explored the female standpoint. "I have always toyed with the idea and finally got down to writing it. It explores the way men see women in a relationship and juxtaposes that with how women see themselves. How does a girl perceive a relationship? What happens if she chooses to stay single for the rest of her life — these are questions the play throws up," he says.
Chuhal is set in a village where the mindset is modern. "It's a light, romantic comedy which also goes into the experimental space, somewhat," he says, but at the moment, Kaul doesn't want to explain how. He speaks highly of his cast though. "Sugandha Garg plays the female lead, Aarti, and she's fantastic — I don't know why she doesn't do more plays. Then there's Amrita Bagchi, who is great too. Gurleen Judge is designing the play and she's one of the most important people in my group. I have a fantastic team in place, which is why I am able to do this. The setup is very democratic. Everyone gives their feedback, and so it becomes the group's play, and not mine alone." That's also the reason why, he says, that he ventured out to direct himself. "It's not the first option I considered, because I feel the director needs to be out of the play to be able to see the big picture better. But it is solely because of the support system I have, that I am being able to do this," Kaul says.
Manav with Sugandha Garg in a rehearsal
The last three years saw Manav seeped into films to the extent that theatre had to take a back-seat for a while. He candidly admits that he has found "therapy in acting since 2013" and he's enjoying it to the hilt. "I stopped acting in 2002, because I wasn't having fun anymore. Peele Scooter Wala Aadmi was an exception, an emergency call rather. But I rediscovered the magic in 2013 when films began to happen." Returning to stage acting was not a creative struggle for him, he says. "I'm really enjoying all kinds of acting now. But yes, I like to focus on one thing at a time. Right now, it's only
Chuhal for me. And it's great that it's opening at Prithvi. That place is like home to me," Kaul says. While both acting and direction give him joy, he says that it is the writer in him that "continues to surprise". "An artist's journey is always inward. My writing surprises me the most; I don't know where it comes from, when it will come even. This play too, I never thought I had it in me to explore a story like this. But when it all came together, I sat back and smiled to myself. It will be a very important play in my journey, more than Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane. I know it's something I will be proud of."
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