Through a lens, gently

Sparkling tender bittersweet honest herersquos a film tumbling headfirst into the creative chaos of rehearsals capturing up close and personal the rumbunctious rapport and superb spirit backstage among Parsi Gujarati theatrersquos leading lights The Show Must Go On by photographerfilmmaker Divya Cowasji preserves for posterity their last hurrah This second film after her documentary QissaeParsi picked up the National Award in 2015 is the inaugural production under the Bhai Bahen Films banner with her cinematographerfilmmaker brother Jall Nominated for the 2019 ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for Outstanding Cinematography he has edited The Show Must Go OnRehearsal shot of golden couple both on and off stage Ruby amp Burjor PatelFrom premiering at Film South Asia in Kathmandu last April to receiving a standing ovation at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala to winning Best Documentary at the Logcinema Theatre on Films Festival in Buenos Aires and being selected to open the International Film Festival of India in Goa The Show Must Go On has reached far beyond its filmmakersrsquo expectations The film will premiere in Bombay with two shows on February 3 at the NCPArsquos Godrej Dance TheatreldquoA response that stuck at our Nepal screening was the purity of emotion and relationships coming through Viewers felt they were watching real life unfold before themrdquo says Divya Cowasji Another moment at the Cambridge Film Festival saw a 95yearold gent from London taking over the postscreening discussion in her absence ldquoThe cinema staff and other audience members took pictures with him because he was a reallife ParsirdquoDinyar Contractor being directed by Sam KerawallaHalf a century after they last wowed fans the ageing icons of Parsi Theatre return to the stage casting off their walking sticks and wheelchairs for an almost final curtain call For most of them it has been the last time on the floorboardsldquoWhat has been a nostalgic affair is now ready to be shared with everyone The fact that such a documentary hasnrsquot been mademdashwith the last performances of many wonderful actorsmdashmakes it a treat to look forward tordquo says Sam Kerawalla director of the productions Laughter in the House 1 and 2 which regaled packed audiences at the NCPA after the publication of this columnistrsquos book Laughter in the House 20thCentury Parsi Theatre ldquoDespite years of experience they were willing to accept what I told them Itrsquos worthwhile for todayrsquos aspirants to observe and learn from taking instructions with no trace of attituderdquo Moti Antia captured in a fun green room moment with Shazneen AchariaRemembering their mentor writerdirector Adi Marzban octogenarian Bomi Dotiwala shares ldquoLaughter in the House is beautiful proof of Adirsquos craftsmanship All of us senior artistes are his products The Show Must Go On points out how our humble performances attaining stardom my beloved wife Dollyrsquos and mine included are thanks to himrdquo Jim Vimadalal compere for the sellout shows for both seasons says ldquoLaughter in the House 2 was truly memorable the only show where audiences clapped and howled at every entry even before the act began That was the aura of the golden oldies and for me a master class in theatrerdquoDivya Cowasji shares a laugh with singer Hormuz RaginaAs Shernaz Patel the daughter of everyonersquos most adored star couple Ruby and Burjor Patel says ldquoThis film is a tiny gem with such a big heart It intimately captures a rare moment in our Parsi theatre historymdashone of laughter creativity and sharing Theatre is ephemeral To have a record of these gifted actors before they fade away is pricelessrdquoOver to the brave creator of The Show Must Go OnhellipWhat drew you to filming the making of Laughter in the House 2I arrived on the first day of rehearsal with just my DSLR camera and no real plan to cover a few rehearsals as still images and short videos handing over the material to those involved as a keepsake Never dreaming this journey would carry on for over five yearsI started out feeling awkward a stranger in a room full of people who clearly knew each other intimately So warm was the energy in that room by the end of the first day itself I felt a shift Day after day I was unable to put down my camera Digging myself a metaphorical grave by the end of it with over 100 hours of haphazardly shot footageIt was apparent this was possibly the last time on stage for most of these actors I had something special but got overwhelmed looking at the reams of footage with no storyline I started and quit innumerable times There was also the niggling doubt about this interesting anyone outside of the immediate world of the key playersThe decision of this being a film and the direction it ultimately took was made on the edit table with Jall It took the better part of a year and a whole lot of trialanderror piecing together the bits letting a story unfold itself to us where there wasnrsquot any obvious tether or cohesionWhich filmed vignettes were hardest to edit out for JallWe killed a lot of darlings as they say in filmspeak Jall and I kept struggling to let go much of the masti and shenanigans of the younger lot We dropped some long gags very dear to us Most notably one with Ruby Aunty and Burjor Uncle lamenting the new Tata airline was nothing compared to the earlier one and a skillfully crafted skit around a paidus funeral mixup with exquisite acting by Bomi Uncle and Dolly Aunty I couldnrsquot pick a funniest but the sketch where Jasmin Siganporia presses a seemingly invalid Dinyar Contractor about whether hersquos good in bed features significantly as it was crisp to use in entiretyWhy do you think TSMGO resonates with global audiences despite a tightly niche themeNervous and apprehensive as we were about whether it would appeal to a universal audience unfamiliar with Parsi theatre the response has been overwhelming What transcends specificities of context are the overarching human themes It is first and foremost a film about joy and resilience not Parsi theatre per se but the people inhabiting this hallowed ground It doesnrsquot hurt that the players are loveable in their sincerity passion tantrums and eccentricitiesThe tender camaraderie between generations of actors and singers is evident I was immediately taken by that rare bond underlined by respect as well as a solid pairing of equals built on love and genuine friendship They teased pranked sparred sulked but consoled one another in times of need The veterans tried to pass on their rigorous work ethic and often failed The kids brought a spark and energy to them that they quite delighted in One of my favourite scenes is when Sam scolds Shanaya Boyce for not being prepared with words to the songs Ruby and Dolly stick up for her getting scolded too They proceed to notsodiscreetly mouth the words to her while Sam tests the veracity of their claimsPoignant moments abound in the everyday Sam asleep snoring on some chairs from exhaustion before rehearsals have begun incorporating Dinyar Unclersquos skits in a wheelchair because he couldnrsquot walk Dolly donning a dark wig to appear younger the sweetest flirtation between Ruby and Burjor as she refuses to reveal her age The potty humour the mock rivalry between Hormuz Ragina and Jim backstage the incessant nakhranaatak both generations revel in are preciousThe rigour thespians displayed at practices must have been impressiveEarly in rehearsals something really moved me There was construction work outside the room forcing them to tiptoe around piles of rubble and a very long walk to the loo They constantly faced physical hardships with quiet dignity They were always first to arrive at rehearsals and stay till the end of gruelling days with indomitable spirit and great joy to be able to do what they spent their lifetimes lovingThey possess sheer dedication to their craft and utter passion for it Dinyar Uncle on occasion actually called his physiotherapist to the set refusing to miss a rehearsal It wasnrsquot all fun and games there were heated exchanges One realised they were sacrificing quite a bit at times their egos to be there And the temerity shown in the face of unspeakable tragedy is nothing short of awe inspiringWhat should Bombay audiences look out for considering Parsi theatre in India was cradled hereShowing at NCPA Bombay feels like bringing the film home where it belongs With the luxury of nothing needing to be explained everything simply understood Filming the final show I wouldnrsquot have been able to fathom the devotion of Parsi viewers towards the senior actors had I not witnessed it firsthand I hope they bring that enthusiasm and zeal to this film so we can celebrate these exceptional talents and human beings with a love only their ardent loyal audiences provideHow do you plan to chart TSMGOrsquos ideal onward journeyWersquod like as many viewers as possible so have submitted and been accepted to several global festivals This April marks a year of the pretty successful festival run post which we are in talks with an OTT platform for worldwide release With that we hope our little labour of love will make people everywhere experience a touch of magic of the Parsi stage and its gentlest giantsAuthorpublisher Meher Marfatia writes fortnightly on everything that makes her love Mumbai and adore Bombay You can reach her at mehermarfatiamiddaycomwwwmeher marfatiacom