The return of Rehaan Engineer

The other night outside the cosy Sitara Studio, a line had formed for Caryl Churchill’s Far Away. The previous show had just finished. Naturally, pleasantries were being exchanged between people exiting the previous performance, and those waiting to catch the next one. Most of these greetings were cordial and calm. One audience member exited with a very perplexed expression. Suddenly, someone she knew looked at her and exclaimed, “Clearly this was your first Rehaan play!” Followed by a tremendous chuckle and a knowing nod from everyone gathered.

To explain: we had all gathered here not for the magic of Caryl Churchill’s words, nor for the celebrity that is Kalki, nor for the powerhouse performer that is Sheeba Chaddha, nor for the love of Vivek Gomber, nor to commemorate the debut as producer of Sachin Kamani; we had all quite simply come here for Rehaan Engineer. Or at least most of us had.

To call Rehaan a maverick director is an injustice. His work ethic is meticulous, actors love working with him, his production designs are exquisite, his presentation is ALWAYS interesting; but he doesn’t set out to entertain you, he sets out to stimulate you and receive information in a way you wouldn’t ordinarily expect. Whether you like his work or not is, quite frankly, beside the point. That’s why we missed him.

Until a few years ago, a Rehaan play was part of the staple diet for Bombay’s theatre audience. His productions always had a limited run, and were always fascinating. However, his work caters to a niche; primarily, to people who are interested in theatre, rather than entertainment. Therefore he became, and in some ways still is, a poster boy for the artistic community. As a young director growing up, his productions were what I attended to see how far the envelope can be pushed. His Judgement for example, was a naked piece of theatre; one man on stage for 150 minutes with absolutely no assistance from set or lights or soundscape or, for that matter, even movement. It was boring, yet mesmerising at the same time.

After giving us some unusual shows, in unusual spaces, Rehaan shifted to Delhi and to painting. He seemingly gave up theatre and vanished from sight, other than the odd appearance when he surfaced in Bombay to direct a section of an opera. His presence has been sorely missed. It is interesting that his return coincides with the gorgeous exhibition of Ebrahim Alkazi’s work. Both traded in Bombay for Delhi, and theatre for art. So, while the city celebrates Alkazi, it also in some way celebrates the return of a prodigal son in Rehaan, whose sketches are exhibited at Project 88, and his theatre at Sitara Studio.

In an even bigger coup of sorts, Rehaan, will don the Rabbit’s hat in the play White Rabbit Red Rabbit in a performance on October 22 at Harkat Studios. It’s an unusual play, very experimental, and in a brand new odd-ball venue. It’s almost formulaic Rehaan. This is why his work must be viewed with a different lens. This is why, that viewer’s strange expression that prompted that exclamation.

For me, Rehaan’s work is the drama school I never went to. It opened up worlds of performance that were not comfortable for an audience. That challenged us to think and see in a different way. Yet they were beautiful and crafted. They were entertaining, but not in the same way as a regular movie or play. I am so glad he is back doing theatre the challenge is, how do we keep him here

The writer is a stage actor-turned theatre director