New play on Kashmir has a hotel as hero

Ramu Ramanathan's latest play is set in a hotel called Kashmir Kashmir, which is a metaphor for the turmoil-within state

Ramu Ramanathan's latest play is set in a hotel called Kashmir Kashmir, which is a metaphor for the turmoil-within stateu00a0

As the date of the premiere show of this play comes closer, its playwright, despite his vast experience, is getting more and more jittery. "It's an ambitious play. It has multiple narratives because there is no one truth about Kashmir. Since there are many perspectives, it also becomes an open play where there is room for the audience to fill in the blanks based on their understanding of the issue," says playwright Ramu Ramanathan. His concern is understandable u2013 the play is rather unusual. It is about Hotel Kashmir Kashmir and the people who are associated with the hotel. The hotel itself stands as a metaphor of the troubled state.

Kashmir Kashmir is also one of the most expensive plays that the playwright and director have worked on. In his effort to stay as true to the script as possible, Takalkar travelled to Kashmir to meet the people and understand the difference between reality and what the media portrays. "I wanted to hear how silent the nights get and see how bright the mornings are in Kashmir," says Takalkar, a tad philosophically. The trip also helped him pick up costumes, music, props and ideas for the multimedia part of the play. Apart from the trip, the group has also spent on multiple technical rehearsals to get the animation and videos in sync with the rest of the play. While Takalkar shrugs off the expenses, it is the main reason for Ramanathan's concern. "If this play does not work, I'll write another play for the group, with just two characters sitting on two stools, to compensate," states Ramanathan. Like the director, we think his worries are rather unfounded.

Kashmir Kashmir premieres on September 11 at Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Vile Parle (W).
Call: 26149546
Ticket: Rs 150

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