This play based on Gulzar's story makes for an engaging watch for the whole family

In another world this writer wishes she was Boski Boski no less than a fictional character who has reserved a room in our minds got a book from her father each time she added a year in her cap Books as birthday gifts mdash as precious an idea that is mdash puff up with love when the giftgiver pens it And Boski as our beloved poet Gulzar endearingly calls his daughter is a permanent resident in our hearts through her birthday book seriesTrained actors and underprivileged children share a moment on the stageTheatre practitioner Salim Arif shares ldquoWhen Meghna Gulzar was about to enter her teenage years Gulzar Saab wrote Boski Ke Kaptan Chacha The wish to translate it on stage has stayed with me for longrdquo And when he finally decided to work on it he requested Gulzar to take a fresh look at the text The director tells us his relationship with the magician of words is both cordial and relaxed ldquoIf therersquos a change I wish to introduce he has to be in the knowrdquo Can we call the play a childrenrsquos drama mdash to that Arif responds ldquoSuch categorisation might limit its prospects It is a play for everyone Both adults and kids can enjoy it and the fun part is that kids teach grownups hererdquoGulzar meets actors after a rehearsal sessionWhen Gulzar sits down to explain the worlds in which the Boski series was born we know itrsquos not everyday He says writing for children is a literary pursuit he has been keeping at since long While writing for his daughter he would often ponder how age prompts thought transitions ldquoHow does a sixyearold talk How different is an eightyearoldrsquos spoken word from that of a 12yearold Noticing these subtleties helped me learn from my own child I strongly believe any author can best learn from their childrenrdquo he notes adding that a parent might want to pass on specific sentiments without imposing them on their kid mdash and what sweeter way than wrapping them in the folds of a storyBoski Ke Kaptan Chacha like other books from the sequence follows that idea Arif and Gulzar collaborated to mark the 75th year of Indian Independence The poet regales ldquoNot just kids but even presentday adults are unaware of facts related to the National Flag Details such as the significance of the Ashok Chakra or the context to all the colours on our flag befuddle many How is Republic Day dissimilar from Independence Day in import The original text and the play too address these areas in a lighthearted mannerrdquoA moment of action from the rehearsalWhile Gulzar regrets that not too many stage acts are written for children nowadays he pointedly mentions his most favourite bit about Arifrsquos production is Arif himself For the director the drama stands out in singularity as it brings together actors from different classes of the society and makes them part of crucial dialogue ldquoIn this piece older actors have worked with kids who live in Versovarsquos slums I have hosted a few workshops to initiate the kids to theatre It was important for me to create an ensemble that joins hands as a family but not with homogenous backgrounds Professional actors should also know how a child from the slum thinks or reacts to situationsrdquo Arif elaborates On any special performative feature he would like audiences to observe the director assures ldquoLetrsquos just say they will be in for a surpriserdquoHowever master creator Gulzarrsquos faith in kingdoms ruled by children seems to have come full circle during the rehearsals ldquoIn one session I met the narrator of Boski Ke Kaptan Chacha Long ago when she was a kid she had played Pinocchio in one of my plays When she came and met me I asked her if she has grown big how has her nose been left behindrdquoOn May 15 4 pm to 515 pmAt Experimental Theatre NCPA Nariman PointLog on to insiderinCost Rs 360 onwards