Theatre Review: The conversation between two fathers

Theatre

Review: Sundar Sarukkai
Two Fathers

Playwright: Sundar SarukkaiDirector: Srinivas Bhashyam
Cast: Reggie Goveas, Sheeba Shah, Valentino Diaz and Srinivas Bhashyam
Music: Rowan Serrao

Language: English
Genre: Drama
Duration: 60 minutes
Rating: ***1/2

Plot: Predominantly based on a hypothetical situation – the meeting between Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein – the

play

Two Fathers goes on to explore the possibilities of a conversation between two greats who never met in real life. Written by Sundar Sarukkai and directed by Srinivas Bhashyam (who also plays the role of (Gandhi), it was the first time that this Imaya Shows production was staged outside Goa. Cleverly tagged ‘extraordinary minds, ordinary fathers’, the play attempts to keep aside the celebrated personas of two remarkable men and instead talk about the troubled relationships they had with their children – personal stories that parents and their children can often relate to.

Review: Perhaps, a bold pursuit to bring to stage the personal turmoil of two exceptional personalities, who have not just inspired generations of mankind but have also helped change the world for good with their outstanding knowledge and contributions. It’s rather surprising to see how both the humanist and the scientist struggled to reconcile with their own son and daughter, respectively – becoming a pale shadow of their otherwise revered image. It is said that both Gandhi and Einstein had mutual admiration for each other and they even corresponded through letters, but never actually met.

The play is very well formatted and distinctive at every stage. The narrative technique is quite intelligent, too. It’s mostly about two sets of conversations – one between Gandhi and Einstein’s estranged daughter Lieserl (essayed by Sheeba Shah) and the other between Einstein and Gandhi’s eldest son Hiralal (enacted by Valentino Diaz), who felt overshadowed by his father’s commitments towards the nation. Stagecraft is minimal – with Gandhi’s chakra placed on one side Einstein’s study table adorning the other; the background score complements the flow of the story. The manner in which Einstein and Hiralal enter the stage is something to look out for, so is the dialogue between Gandhi and Einstein. The tone of the script is sharp and witty. All the actors have aptly portrayed their roles, but Reggie Goveas (playing Einstein) deserves a special mention.

Final word: The play has a universal appeal, as it talks about real-life complexities – of parent-child relationships; conversations between them or a lack of it; their misunderstandings and rapprochement; and how all of these can burden people’s lives for years together. Even though the plot revolves around people who have long gone, the learnings from their stories are very much relevant today.