Seven new plays which delve into lesser-known radio productions scripted by Manto and hilarious writings of Imtiaz Ali Taj, mark the theatre debut of Nikhat Khan
Ayush Sonawane, Krupal Raval and Nikhat Khan in Chacha Chakkan ke Karnamey
Much like the revival of interest in Urdu learning, storytelling and poetry in the city, there is a renewed zest with which the writings of Sadat Hasan Manto are being seen in contemporary light. Perhaps it's got to do with Nandita Das's film, or that when a writer is ahead of his time, it takes a while for the rest of the society to catch up, or that the relevance of great writing never ebbs with time. Or a combination of it. And yet, so vast was Manto's oeuvre that while some writings often make their way to the stage, some remain buried in the pages of his collected works.
Two of his radio plays have now been adapted for the stage by Kirdaar Art Academy for a series of seven new productions that will be staged through June, starting this Sunday. The funny character of Chacha Chakkan created by renowned Urdu dramatist Imtiaz Ali Taj — whose play Anarkali was adapted for K Asif's hugely successful film — will be the other set of plays in the series.
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"Our productions usually deal with serious subjects. This time, when we thought of taking the comedy route, we were sure of wanting to steer clear of slapstick. And so, we turned to the radio plays — Aafat Mey Hai Jaan, and a series of conversations between a husband, wife and friend, which we have called Aao Aisa Karein — that Manto wrote for a station in Pakistan when he moved there. Not commonly associated with the comedy genre, Manto has imbued the plays with his sharp sense of humour. Imtiaz Ali Taj is another great writer who remains underrepresented in Mumbai theatre," says Iqbal Niyazi, who has designed and directed the plays.
Iqbal Niyazi
When the word spread that the academy was auditioning artistes for the plays, something interesting happened. An actor called Nikhat Khan walked in, gave her audition and got selected for the role of Chacha Chakkan's wife. It was only during rehearsal, when she mentioned her upcoming film that the team realised she is Aamir Khan's sister. "We still haven't brought it up before her," Niyazi reveals.
Khan tells us that though the plays mark her theatre debut, she has always loved the medium. "I have watched a lot of plays during college and deep inside, there was always this desire to act," she says, adding, "While in films you are in front of the camera for that one shot, in theatre, you have to be in your character throughout."
While living in Pune for 13 years, she did her MA in counselling psychology and also took acting lessons. "My teacher didn't know about my background and would speak of the film industry, where Aamir's name would come up, too," she recalls. Being a famous actor's sister comes with its baggage, Khan says. "There is this expectation of me having to match up, that too when I am just starting out. Now that Aamir's son is acting too, I told him he should consider giving a workshop to the family. And in his typical style, he said, 'Arre, nahi nahi!'"
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