28 August,2026 09:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram Iyengar
Lubna Salim and Nissar Khan in a moment from the play. Pics Courtesy/Essay Ensemble
This writer feels that among the many things that have been lost in the last decade, is the art of subtlety. The delicacy of shifting a narrative with a smile, rather than brute force of drama, is an art few writers still inhabit. For director Salim Arif, it is the distinction between good writers and great ones. His revival, Arre O Henry, will feature two writers, Gulzar and O Henry (William Sydney Porter), in whom subtlety and mischief find a hospitable balance.
Salim Arif and Gulzar
The veteran theatremaker first began his journey with the play 10 years ago. "Gulzar saab is a great admirer of O Henry. He had adapted a few short stories for television. I cajoled him into writing a few more, and thus the works came into being," Arif reveals. The quartet of stories - Shaadi Kar Lo (The Exact Science of Matrimony), Nuskha (The Love Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein), Madam (While the Auto Waits), and Baal Baal Bache (The Barber Talks) - are a blend of humour, twists, and a microcosm of Indian society.
"They are written in a dialogue-form narrative. The interesting part for me was that he [Gulzar] could bring in layers of Indian society, prejudices, and perceptions in such a beautiful way," the director points out, adding, "Though the four stories are different, I weaved them together into a single narrative."
William Sydney Porter
They are threaded together by songs and poems by the Academy Award-winning lyricist. Arif adds, "His humour is subtle and not boisterous. Like O Henry, he shares this ability to create situations that have a thread of quiet laughs running through them." That is a rare touch of old-school class that might feel refreshing in an age of loudness.
On August 29; 7 pm
At Aditya Birla Performing Arts Academy, Dadi Seth Road, Grant Road West.
Log on to in.bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 1000
