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Popular Gujarati play hits town

Amit is part of the team of Bapu Tame Kamaal Kari, an original Gujarati play that will be staged today evening after a much applauded performance yesterday.

Directed by the young Gujarati theatre veteran Sunil Joshi, who also plays a lead character, the play originally began as a one-liner in the Indian regional language, and was later developed on a trial and error basis. According to Mr Joshi the end product is the result of constant refinement and improvisation, all carried out with the audience and their expectations and taste in mind.

The play, produced by Hemal Thakkar, has already presented over 150 shows in India and is actually premiering in Dubai, the occasion also being the director’s debut in the city that never sleeps. Speaking to Khaleej Times he said that the strength of the play is that for all its humour it depends on the presentation of the characters and contains no gags.

Laila Merchant of the Rangmanch Theatre Events, the organisers of the event, said that the play is already so popular with the audience in Dubai that both the shows were sold out a week in advance.

“There have been demands for a third show and there is a long waiting list for the second performance,” she added.

According to Bharat Bhai Shah, a prominent member of the Gujarati community in Dubai and supporter of the event, a third show was possible but would not have been appropriate.

“There should be a little disappointment, so that next time the audience will make sure they don’t miss it,” he said.

Bapu Tame Kamaal Kari' also stars Sumit Raghavan, a well-known face on the Indian sitcom scene, and a theatre artiste who, despite Tamil being his mother tongue, performs Marathi plays and has also been successful in the Gujarati theatre.

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