Kuch Rang Aise Bhee: A patchy take on Gulzar, Manto and Premchand’s stories

Plot: Staged by XpressionZ, a Bengaluru-based theatre group, Kuch Rang Aise Bhee is an adaptation of three short stories by three stalwarts of Indian literature — Gulzar, Munshi Premchand and Saadat Hasan Manto. Penned by Gulzar and set against the backdrop of Partition, the first act — Khuda Hafiz, is a story of two strangers — Karim Khan and Ram Avatar.While running away from rioters, the two take shelter in a house and start a conversation without revealing their names. How they conceal their religious identity throughout the conversation forms the crux of the act. Written by Munshi Premchand, the second act — Poos Ki Raat, deals with the plight of farmers. It is the story of Halku, a tenant farmer, who is tired of spending sleepless nights guarding his farm against wild animals. One day, wild animals destroy his farm but instead of getting mad over it, Halku rejoices the incident, but why? The third act — Nishana, is a story about two drunks by Manto. One night they stumble upon a pistol and how the weapon changes their lives, is what the story is about.
Review: Giving a glimpse of Gulzar's exceptional writing, the first act begins with the lines — Lakeerien hain…toh rehne do, kisi ne rooth kar, gusse mein shayad khench di thi. The playful yet pensive words from his poem Lakeerien set the mood for the play. Actor Saurav Verma as Karim gripped the audience from the word go with his impeccable demeanour and flawless diction. His portrayal of a frightened man in the wake of communal riots with strong expressions and body language was a pleasure to watch.
Though a pensive story, Poos Ki Raat failed to create an impact on the audience owing to a convoluted conclusion. For those, who are not well-versed with Premchand’s stories, might find the conclusion a tad too puzzling. The script couldn’t establish the farmer’s plight and his exploitation in the hands of the landlord appropriately for the audience. The abrupt ending too added to the act’s woes as many were left clueless about what exactly happened. But, here again, Verma, essaying the role of Halku, took the cake with his subtle performance. Despite a frail script, he convincingly portrayed the character’s disinterest in his occupation and brought out its different facets with novelty.
The third act, Nishana, too suffered the same fate. Despite Verma and Anuraag Puthige putting up a stellar show in the characters of the drunks, the act failed to make an impact on the audience due to its half-baked ending. The dialogues in the climax lacked punch and couldn’t put across Manto’s message on the issue of reckless and impulsive drunken behaviour. Use of minimal props however, worked well for production and swift transitions during blackouts kept the flow of the adaptation intact.
Verdict: The stories were the real heroes in all the three acts of Kuch Rang Aise Bhee. Though both the second and third act was a tad disappointing because of their ill-conceived endings, it was actor Saurav Verma who shone in all the stories with his versatility. Irrespective of whether you like plays or not, this production is a must-watch for those who like to revel in wonderful stories written by three of India’s finest writers.