AMAR AKBAR AKOORI
Statutory Warning: This play is injurious to health because you may fall off your seat while laughing, especially during the first half! Any play from Silly Point Productions is not at all silly since laughter is serious ‘business’ for them. (Pun on ‘business’ intended considering the ticket prices!)
This play picks you up from the very first scene and carries you, unprotestingly, all the way right up to the end. It is all about loving your family (sorry! that’s Karan Johar!) Its’ all about loving your paying guests; in this case, a pure unadulterated Parsi, a Bohri and a Gujjubhai. To tell you ANY more of the plot would be to spoil your viewing-pleasure.
The preposterous situations, potent jokes and one-liners are carried off frolicsomely by a near-perfect cast who deserve heartfelt praise. Both the Daneshes (Irani and Khambatta) are outstandingly good as the Parsi and the Gujju. Both these consummate actors are brilliant while bouncing off one-liners. Khambatta’s Gujju expressions are not to be missed since he delineates the character through them—–he ‘acts’ with his eyes and gaping mouth to get under the skin of a Gujju.
Pheroza Modi’s performance is a winner all the way and I would love to nominate her for the ‘Funniest Parsi Actress Award’. The other ladies in the cast, Thea Shroff, Ayesha Mehta and Parinaz Jal (as the country-bumpkin Gujju sister) provide an adequate support.
Many of the jokes were on the BPP and its Trustees, some of them, most uncharitable but under the guise of humour and artistic freedom, I guess, Sub Chalta Hai and Oh! The BPP jokes, particularly the one on their ex-Trustee, Khojeste Mistree, got the loudest laughter. The play stooped to everything and stopped at nothing! Totally irreverent humour, boss!
The script was as crisp as an OK wafer and Meherzad Patel’s apt direction coaxes sparklers out of his ‘phataka’ cast, fiercely, until they burn the audience out with laughter.
VERDICT: Enjoy this Tikkhi-Tamtamti-Tasty-Akuri while it’s piping hot! Go see it!!
