An unknown man's body is found in a young woman's rented apartment. She goes missing. So does her brother. No one knows the cause of death, or who killed the man. Was it the woman? Was it her brother? Or was it someone else? These are the questions that the members of two fictitious investigative agencies have to solve in a virtual play called Gargikand, being staged this evening.
<img title="Tushar Dalve" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/dec/Tushar-Dalvi.jpg" alt="Tushar Dalve" /> Tushar Dalve
But the real twist lies in the format. The detectives in Crime Branch India (CBI) and Secret Society of Sleuths (SSS), the two made-up agencies, aren't actors in the plot - they are the members of the audience. Director Tushar Dalvi tells us that people will be divided between CBI and SSS, and added to a WhatsApp group hours before the performance starts. There, they will first receive an invitation from their commanding officer and a 'case file' with salient details. Then, once the play starts, the viewer-cum-detectives get a chance to interview each character for two minutes, at the end of which they get to re-interrogate the person with the longest shadow of suspicion. "We encourage people to collaborate," Dalvi says, meaning you aren't exactly expected to be Sherlock Holmes here. Think of yourself more as a character from a web series where a bunch of detectives are huddled around a table.
Dalvi adds that the play is divided into two days, with 24 hours as the deadline to solve the case. Crucially, he also says that the underlying intention of the plot is to highlight the prejudices that single women face in society. "Everyone knows how these are manifested. It starts from finding it difficult to get a place for rent, even if they are widowed or single parents, to facing comments about the way they dress. People look at them through cultural binoculars and start peeping into their lives," the director explains. So, yes, Gargikand is essentially a murder mystery that asks the audience to exercise their mind. But the play also tugs at the conscience, since there is a bigger question than who the murderer is. It is - what part are we playing to ensure that women can walk with their head held high in a just and equitable society?
On: Today, 6 pm and 8 pm Log on to: bookmyshow.com Cost: Rs 299
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A virtual play this evening turns the audience into detectives solving a murder mystery

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