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The
pagal theatrewala TECH TALK Design
dictums for a dazzling Christmas Of
cakes and wines Film
& FASHION Win(e)-Win(e)
situation
A smashing
party
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Mangal Dhillon is back in town with his nationally acclaimed one-man show ‘Theatre wala urf Pagal Hai’. Parbina Rashid catches the mood at Tagore Theatre as the actor starts his rehearsals What do you call someone who paces all alone on a dark stage, muttering choicest of abuses to the empty chairs and undressing the art fraternity in the process? The word that comes to mind is pagal. This is the avatar Mangal Dhillon is going to don for his play ‘Theatre wala urf Pagal Hai.’ Watching him rehearse turns out to be a pleasurable experience. His deep throaty voice takes you through a myriad of emotions – laughter, sadness and sarcasm. And what follows next, a one-on-one interview with the writer, director and actor of this one-man show is even more pleasurable. For, Mangal is as media savvy as they come. He starts with Sahir Ludhianvi’s couplet, “Duniyan ne Tajurbat-o-hawadas ki shakal mein, jo kuchh mujhe diya hai, woh lauta raha hoon mein.” So the play reflects the struggle he faced during his theatre days. Is not it an old story, for by his own admission his days of struggle were over after Buniyaad ? But then the script was written in 1983, which was completed by 1985. “Theatre is never old, the theme is still relevant. And from time to time I have been adding new things to the script,” says Mangal. And why did he pick up a theme, which is so cynical. “There are so many plays on social issues, but how many have you come up on the problems of theatre artistes? He counteracts. As we fail to answer him, he goes on, “ Theatre is the mirror of the society, but look at the condition of the mirror; it is getting foggy for the lack of nourishment.” He calls ‘Theatre wala urf pagal hai’ his dream project and this is why he is taking it back to stage after nine long years. “I want to perform this before I get too old and my voice gives away,” he says pointing at his throat. After talking non-stop during his rehearsals, which he says is merely 10 per cent of the play, we know what he means to say. “Last time I went on stage with this play I took a huge Vitamin B complex,” he tells us. What about this time? “You have to see my room to believe it. It is crowded with B-complex capsules,” he laughs. The energy booster remaining the same, is there a variation in his performance, particularly in this play? “My earlier performances were full of energy, lots of obsession. Now it is more of maturity,” he says. So to freeze his most memorable experience, Mangal is now planning to can this play as a film. “As the basic rule of theatre is that no two performance is alike, I would like to have it frozen on celluloid, so that when I can no longer play this on stage, I can show it to people and say this was my dream role.” We are happy that he has included Chandigarh for his last few shows of ‘Theatre wala….’ But what about his mainstream profession, television and films? “I have been too busy with my Khalsa project. Now I am working with a semi-commercial film Shahadat and also a docudrama Sarbnash, which is on drug abuse,” says Mangal, as we get ready to part company after giving him our solemn promise to come back for the show at Tagore Theatre on December 26. And how could we not, after hearing his opening dialogue that people do not mind buying tickets in the black for a film, but never turns up for plays even if they are given free passes! |
With the party spirit on the full blast, can the students of the National Institute of Fashion Design, remain left behind? No. The students did organise a Christmas bash at Tagore Theatre and they did it with style. The simple bare hall was converted into a discotheque with DJ Bhanu playing the peppy music in Hindi, English and Punjabi. The decorations spoke of the creativity of the students – mistletoes, bells, stockings and the mood was of course white and red. And what is a Christmas party without Santa Claus doing his round with gifts? Hold your breath, there was a Santa all right, but along with him were several of his clones, adding zing to the party. The faculty members too took part in the celebrations. They sang carols, took part in the games and contests. To infuse a little healthy competition among the participants, prizes were given for best male and female dancers, best dress, best decorations and the best greeting
cards. — TNS |
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Stimulate your brain: It is normal to have brief memory lapses sometimes, but when this happens repeatedly you need to pay attention. Memory performances can be boosted by as much as 50 per cent by challenging it constantly. — Dr Rashmi Garg is senior consultant, Fortis, Mohali. |
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