Shipwrecked with an orangutan while searching for God

What happens when little Pi Molitor Patel decides he wants to know God's name and if he can change his religion? Mehjabeen Jagmag drops in for a rehearsal of a new kid's play to find out

What happens when little Pi Molitor Patel decides he wants to know God's name and if he can change his religion? Mehjabeen Jagmag drops in for a rehearsal of a new kid's play to find out

What happens when Pi Molitor Patel who goes looking for God and is shipwrecked with a tiger, zebra, hyena and orangutan on his way to Canada? Pi In search of God's Name, a children's musical premieres at Summer Time with Prithvi and traces the story of the little boy.

Directed by Ranga Theatre's Bijon Mondal, the Hindi-English drama is adapted from Yann Martel's Man Booker Prize-winning book, Life of Pi.

As a young boy, Pi is consumed with the question "What and who is God?" When he encounters a priest, pujari and a fakir, his curiosity about religion grows.

He asks his father about God's name and if he can change his religion. Pi's life takes a turn for the unexpected when his father, a zookeeper in Pondicherry, decides to pack their bags and resettle in Canada.
u00a0
The ship that they are journeying in sinks and Pi finds himself stranded with four animals. As the Hyena begins to prey on the weaker animals, Pi works out a escape plan. "It has a simple narrative with a deep, underlying message," says the director.

While following the original story of Pi, the theatre group brings interesting elements to the play with the use of music by Gopal Tiwari.

"The main song that ties the play together looks at life as a journey, and is performed in three parts through the performance," says Gopal. Since the songs had to be lively enough for kids, the group opted for a young fusion band like Translucent.

Set and mask designer Dhanendra Kawade has created Pi's home using rods that can be re-arranged to create a boat too.

Ishaan, who plays one Pi says, "The innocence of Pi, who is looking for answers that none of us have, will appeal to children and adults. The play is high on emotion.

It's difficult to keep up with the tempo of the play alone, so, Bijon balanced out the emotions with three actors."

Horniman Circle Garden: May 9 at 8 pm, Prithvi Theatre: May 12 and 13 at 4 pm and 7 pm, Karnataka Sangha: May 17 at 7.30 pm. Call: 26149546. Tickets for Prithvi and Karnataka Sangha: Rs 150. Entry for the Horniman Circle Garden show is free.