This play stars the both of us, finally

Brand new plays, rehearsal backstage, news, gossip What's On tells you what's up in the world of Mumbai stage, and where you can catch it. Look out for your weekend theatre guide, right here, every Saturday

Theatre couple Aditya Hitkari and Divya Palat step onto the floorboards together for the first time in an English play titled, Starring You and Me. This tale of relationships is penned and directed by Divya. The Mumbai-centric drama is about a scriptwriter who only has one hit television soap to his credit. Post the success of the serial, however, there is nothing coming his way. He tries knocking on the doors of Bollywood, but is shown the door. Amid all the confusion, arrives a PYT from Shimla who wants to make it as an actress. She has been tracking him on Orkut and thinks he is the man who can not only be her roommate, but also help her make an entry into B Town. "All these years, we have never acted together as one of us would always be busy with the backstage stuff. But this time, we thought, why not be together on stage as well!" says Divya, who runs the Balancing Act Productions troupe.
At Experimental Theatre, NCPA, on February 21 and 22 at 6.30 pm. Call 22824567

Story-telling sessions
Naseeruddin Shah's Motley Theatre troupe has revived three of its productions especially for the Prithvi@Karnataka Sangh endeavour, that takes Hindi theatre to the central Mumbai audience. The plays include Ismat Apa Ke Naam, based on the stories of Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai. These include Gharwali, Mughal Bachha and Chhue Mee. Naseer teams up with wife Ratna Shah and daughter Heeba for the enactment of these stories. Maanto Ismat Haazir Hain takes a look at the court trial of Chugtai and Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto, which has Heeba team up with Ankur Vikal and Jameel Khan. Ismat and Manto were known for their bold and provocative writings in the pre-independence era. There is also a show of the Satyadev-Dubey directed Antigone, which has Ratna team up with Naseer in the classic Greek tragedy.
Ismat Apa Ke Naam on February 11, Manto Ismat Haazir Hain on February 12 and Antigone on February 13. All shows at 8 pm at Karnataka Sangh, Matunga (West). Call on 9833234019.

The Ustaad never forgets Jennifer
Ustaad Zakir Hussain performed at Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, for the first time 25 years ago in memory of Jennifer Kapoor on her birthday (February 28). This annual tradition has continued unbroken. Whichever part of the world he may be in, the Ustaad makes it a point to fly down to Mumbai and design a show in memory of the late Prithvi founder. This year, being the 25th anniversary of the concert, a four-day programme will be held on February 7, 26, 27 and 28 at 8 pm. Tickets are priced at Rs 500. This is one eagerly awaited show with the biggest names performing. Get tickets now, as it pays to be an early bird.
Call on 26149546

Smriti will be back soonu00a0
The buzz is that Smriti Iraani is planning a new Gujarati play, Muktidham, starring her opposite Dharmendra Gohil. It is penned by Imtiaz Patel and will be directed by Kamlesh Mota. Her last Gujarati comic caper, Maniben.com, is now being made into a telly soap.

What else?
On the terror trail: Divya Palat has also lined up a special production titled, 2611, for the ongoing Kala Ghoda festival. It is about seven people and how the terror attacks in south Mumbai affected them. The cast includes participants from Divya's theatre workshops.
Calling elsewhere: Yet another theatre couple,u00a0 Anita Salim and Salim Ghouse, has been missing from the floorboards for a while. Though Anita is preparing for her theatre workshops in April, her hubby Salim is shooting for Shyam Benegal's Abba Ka Kuan in Hyderabad. The duo, who run the Phoenix Players troupe, always act together in their plays, which include Sufiana and Hamlet.
At NGMA, Kala Ghoda, on February 11 at 7.30 pm