A young, successful woman living in Mumbai doesn-t want to get married, but her grandmother has a plan up her sleeve. We-ve all heard this story, but what makes this one different is that apart from drama, it has elements of magic and mentalism. This is what mentalist Suhani Shah and storyteller Mehak Mirza Prabhu-s new online play, Suhani Ki Shaadi, is all about. The show, which has had three sold-out runs on Zoom, features Shah playing herself, while Mirza Prabhu essays five characters — the former-s grandmother, best friend, manager, a crazy fan and niece. Speaking about this unusual collaboration, Mirza Prabhu says, "We met a year ago, and toyed with the idea of combining magic, storytelling and mentalism together. When the lockdown started, Shah and I were talking of IGTV videos and bouncing off silly ideas, when this one clicked."

Shah shares that they wanted to address the issue of a woman navigating the pressures of marriage. "Suhani is a modern woman who believes that things happen at the right time. We wanted to speak about this without being preachy, and add a humorous touch which is where Mirza Prabhu comes in. As the grandmother, she sets up the narrative of trying to get me married. Throughout the 1.15-hour long play, she switches between five characters to interact with me and the audience," explains Shah. Mirza Prabhu adds that the switches are facilitated by an unseen narrator, Swaraj Singh. "Singh blends instructions for the audience with fun. He not only directs them on where to focus on the screen, but also holds the story together," she says, adding that with each character, her costume and the set changes.