This story is from August 26, 2023

Vivek Gomber performs the play 'Betrayal' in Delhi

The narrative timeline begins in 1977 and gradually rewinds back to 1968.
Vivek Gomber performs the play 'Betrayal' in Delhi
Vivek Gomber
Vivek Gomber, known for his roles in critically acclaimed films like Court (2014) and Sir (2018), as well as his contributions to theatre and TV, performed his play Betrayal in Delhi.
Directed by Rachel D’Souza, the play features Abir Abrar as Emma, Vivek Gomber as Robert, and Sukant Goel as Jerry. Written by the Nobel Prize-winning British playwright Harold Pinter, Betrayal examines love, loyalty, and relationships.
Robert, Emma, and Jerry fall prey to their own deceptions of each other.
Robert, Emma, and Jerry fall prey to their own deceptions of each other.

The play has themes of questioning and confessing, and humour is often bittersweet
The play has themes of questioning and confessing, and humour is often bittersweet

The play dissects two love stories – one of marriage and the other of an affair – and unfolds through a series of meetings and conversations among the three central characters.The narrative timeline begins in 1977 and gradually rewinds back to 1968.
Abir Abrar as Emma and Sukant Goel as Jerry
Abir Abrar as Emma and Sukant Goel as Jerry

Director Rachel D'Souza notes, "Almost as a side effect of the 2020 confinement, I developed an interest in intimate stories of relationships, families, friendships and perhaps, what goes on behind closed doors. I wanted to explore a play that looks unabashedly at mechanisms of attachment and loyalty. 'Betrayal' is that brutally funny examination of love, marriage, and fidelity packed into a riveting theatrical structure. It plays out in reverse; changing its focal points from outcomes to trajectories. I see the entire play as a gentle surgical strike into very human fallibilities. Our emotions are unreliable, our memories have little veracity and our words are often inadequate. The silences speak volumes."
Rachel says that the strongest anchors in the rehearsal room were the rhythm of his words and the silences in between.
Anita Bajaj, a lecturer who attended the play in Delhi, shares her perspective, "As the characters grapple with their own deceptions and desires, it felt like we were silent witnesses not just to their journeys of self-discovery, but also to reminders of our own stories."
I see the entire play as a gentle surgical strike into very human fallibilities, says director Rachel D'Souza
I see the entire play as a gentle surgical strike into very human fallibilities, says director Rachel D'Souza

Divyanka Gupta, a writer who attended the play in Delhi, adds, "The play beautifully reflects various shades of attachment and loyalty, making us realise the intricate complexity of human emotions."
Another audience member, Anuj Gill, said,"What I particularly liked was that the themes of questioning and confessing, and humour are often bittersweet. I found it all so fragile, and you don't end up judging any of them."
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