This theatre gang puts up quite an act

Five theatre buffs started this club with the sole objective to entertain and enrich the city circles with their magic on stage

This theatre gang puts up quite an act

Five theatre buffs started this club with the sole objective to entertain and enrich the city circles with their magic on stage

Imagine this scene. The stage is set, the dress rehearsals done, the curtains are drawn. Once the spotlights are on, the crowds teem in, and the audience is waiting for the drama to begin. Enter Aphasia.

We are talking about a youth initiative that has literally brought theatre into the spotlight in this student city of Pune. This group - Aphasia, came into existence in February 2009.

The group members comprise of Venkatesh (23), Vrinda Misra (22), Ruhi Jhunjhunwala (23), Sahil Chopra (22) and Soumyadip Chatterjee (23), who hail from different parts of the country u2014 Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata all have a strong background in theatre. These five theatre buffs have pooled in their resources and come up with a hugely entertaining line of activity.

While their latest event (where they celebrated World Theatre Day) was a hit, their self-scripted and produced Hindi play, Soch, and Stop Thinking-Monty Python Sketches were simply mind-blowing.

Gushes Akshay Brijkishan, a resident of Pune and a theatre enthusiast, "Most importantly, they are amazing.

From handling lights, cues, scripts and of course acting and directing, Aphasia is a blend of the professional and amateur."

Having fun
What was the main objective in kick-starting this group in the city? Sahil Chopra, a core member explains, "The idea was to get a good mix of talent. We're encouraging different styles, forms and mediums of narration u2014 the more the merrier. From stage plays to street plays to monologues to body theatre, we at Aphasia want to bring it all to our audiences."

They have brought professional performances that have caught the audience's attention from groups like Yours Truly, ASAP Productions and through its next event Zehen (National Theatre Fest) is even going to associate with veterans like Makarand Deshpande, Cyrus Dastur, Lubna Salim etc to mentor theatre enthusiasts from across the country.

The group today boasts of about 30 core members in the group.u00a0

"We are positive that we will attract over a 1,000 theatre enthusiasts from across India," concludes an optimistic Vrinda Misra.

In the future, they plan to flood Pune with one-act plays, monologues, workshops and of course, highly entertaining plays. "It's extremely exciting to have found such people in Pune, whose passion towards theatre is unparalleled and knows no boundaries, whatsoever. Aphasia is our baby and we have great plans for it!" signs off Sahil Chopra.

You could watch out for their forthcoming event Zehen, which will take place at SIMC, Lavale campus on December 22, 23 and 24.