Lies as we know them

The well-known idiom, Jhooth bole kauwa kaate, roughly translates to “If you lie, the crow will bite.” Sure, there are no actual crows to bite people here, yet a lie often traps them in a web that is hard to escape from. (Unless, of course, you tell the truth, but when it finally comes out, prepare for the consequences.)

It is this irony that was captured on stage in the play titled Ab Tera Kya Hoga Walia at Kamani Auditorium, directed by veteran director Raman Kumar. The cast boasts an ensemble of actors who’ve made it big on the film and television stage. The play stars  Tiku Talsania, Delnaaz Irani, Shweta Gulati, Harleen Kaur Rekhi, Harish Kotwani, and Vistaasp Gotla.

It all begins with Aditya Walia (Talsania), who has two wives — Pushpa (Irani) and Anjulika (Rekhi) — living in two different houses in the same city. One day, Aditya meets with an accident and spends a night at the hospital. Both the wives go to the same police station and register a missing person complaint each, but, obviously, under different addresses. There’s a twist in the plot when a smuggler from Hong Kong is at large in the city and people suspect Aditya, due to his multiple addresses.

Upon speaking to the director, who has directed various films and plays, we learn that Ab Tera Kya Hoga Walia is a farcical comedy. He adds, “This play has got its own pace. It is the story of a director who keeps on lying and ultimately gets trapped in his own ideas. While reading the script, I was laughing.”

Despite its fast-paced and farcical nature, the play had a serious message — that lies do not lead anywhere and, tomorrow if not today, the liar is caught. And, as it turns out, the play was a massive success. During both the days it was performed, it was a packed auditorium. The director wasn’t surprised though. “I was expecting it. I knew that this play will stick very well with the audience,” he affirms. The director later points out, “Every comedy is a tragedy of life. We laugh at that tragedy because we look at it from a distance. Every tragedy, when told the other way round, will bring tears in your eyes. But (you laugh) because you are looking (at it) from a different perspective.”

It appears that Kumar is more charmed by the theatre with every play he directs. He concludes, “I am doing theatre for the last 40 years and it has been my first love. I have done television and films, but doing theatre is more satisfying. I am always looking forward to directing a play.’