There have been innumerable adaptations of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. But what makes NSD graduate Swati Mittal's version stand apart is her language of choice -- Hindi, and defiance for chronology
There have been innumerable adaptations of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. But what makes NSD graduate Swati Mittal's version stand apart is her language of choiceu00a0-- Hindi, and defiance for chronologyIt was a surreal experience --watching a bunch of actors build a Victorian mood at a rehearsal room at Dinanath Mangeshkar Hall (better known for staging Marathi plays), while mouthing dialogues in chaste Hindi and strutting around in typical 19th century costumes crafted out of cotton sarees. But the brew was working. While the garb represented an era, the language made it clear that we were party to an adaptation.
Actors rehearse for Great Expectations. Pic/Nimesh DaveNational School of Drama graduate Swati Mittal is busy jotting notes as actors rehearse for her play, based on Victorian author Charles Dickens' classic, Great Expectations. For a 24-year-old, she seems rather sorted about what she expects from the cast and crew. Having performed the same play (with a different cast) on NSD's Delhi campus, has helped. But transforming a 400-page novel into an hour-and-a-half long drama couldn't be easy. "The play is not a summary of Great Expectations. It's my interpretation of the novel, and that's the reason we have the character of Alter Ego Pip, about which Dickens never spoke of in his novel. He is a figment of my imagination," says the young director.
In the novel, Dickens focuses on young Pip's adventures through each chapter and seems to mull over incidents in the last few lines. "The novel is written in bildungsroman style, so there are, in essence, two Pips ufffd one is going through the experiences described in the novel, and Alter Ego Pip is looking back at the incidents," explains Swati.
Alter Ego Pip is also a representation of the protagonist's conscience. "Alter Ego does everything that Pip used to think he should do, but was unable to. For example, in the novel when Estella slaps Pip, he feels awful but he does not react. I felt Pip would have reacted somehow. So at that point, we have a scene where Alter Ego Pip rushes in, shakes her up, asking her not to beat Pip."
Confused? Don't be. Swati has managed to weave various aspects quite seamlessly, making this one a delightful experience.
On October 24 at 7.30 pm at Sathaye College Auditorium, Dixit Road, Vile Parle (E). call 9320152603 / 9022913455 tickets Rs 80
