Pratibimb: Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta Ghanta

Marathi Play

The play’s protagonists, Aaditya and Feroza, are your typical slightly mismatched couple: He is an idealistic musician, she is a sensible lawyer; he thinks she is a careerist, but she thinks he is just insecure because she earns more than him. Feroza achieves economical class mobility after years of struggle whereas Aditya comes from a privileged background. He is politically active, conclusively an on-ground activist. She on the other hand is radically focused on her law practice and is dealing with her political uncertainty. Their differences are brought into focus when the government brings in a new law that forbids all citizens from speaking more than 140 words per day. How could any couple survive in such conditions?

The so-called “Antah:Shanti/Quietude/Muskaatdaabi Kaayda” threatens the basis of their closeness, forcing them to water down their conversation to a meagre daily quota. But whereas Aaditya is affronted and joins a protest movement to try to get the act repealed, Feroza, whose instincts are conservative, is initially complacent about its ramifications. This newly formed equation becomes prone to ups and downs dictated by disintegrating personal and political contests.

Recent events in the country make many of the play’s ideas not just interesting in the abstract, but alarmingly urgent. Ghanta’s strength is in its playful riffs on language, as Aaditya and Feroza adapt to the new regime of state-enforced quietude.

Original English Play: Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
Original Playwright: Sam Steiner
Marathi Adaptation: Niranjan Pedanekar
Design & Direction: Mohit Takalkar
Cast: Lalit Prabhakar & Mallika Singh Hanspal
Producer: Ashish Mehta
Light Design: Vikrant Thakar, Yash Potnis
Sound design: Mohit Takalkar, Saurabh Bhalerao
Costume design: Rashmi Rode
Assistant directors: Suyog Deshpande, Mohish Bhamare, Hrishikesh Pujari

Supported by Bhasha Centre for Performing Arts

Produced by Aasakta

Box Office now open.