Life, Literature, and A Love That Sustained It All: A Theatre Review
The critically acclaimed play ‘Ek Mulaqaat’ recently celebrated its 51st show at the Esplanade, through a joint collaboration between Teamwork Productions Singapore and the Esplanade. With its spot-on casting of the great Shekhar Suman and 80s’ starlet Deepti Naval, play-goers were left in tears and hungry for ek aur mulaqaat (one more meeting). Set against a humble rooftop in 1980s’ Delhi, the audience was walked through the last meeting of poets Sahir Ludhianvi and the late Amrita Pritam – a meeting that captured the essence of their intense relationship and speculated bittersweetly on the tragedy of unrequited love. Steeped in rich literary references, music and poetry of the legendary duo, the play was a nostalgic wave of love and art in an ocean that most of us may never know.
(Photo credits: Teamwork Productions Singapore)
A deck of playing cards, an incessantly ringing phone, a brown cotton shawl; the simplicity of such objects played a huge role in making the play relatable when rich Urdu couplets were too far removed. The overarching merit of the show lay in how the renowned actors elevated a string of seemingly simple things with such eloquence that it was hard not to immerse oneself in their perspective. From the playfully shy remainders of young love to the recitations of Pritam’s poems after a lifetime of separation, it was fairly easy to imagine myself as either character in either timeframe – derived from a theatrical fluidity carried by a strong script.
I had the privilege of attending a conversation with Naval – organised by the Indian Women’s Association Singapore – where she spoke passionately about her friendship with Pritam, a renowned Punjabi author who groomed and guided her as a writer. With a stroke of luck after the show, I managed a quick chat with her co-actor Suman, who was incredibly polite and explained to me his motivation of his character’s portrayal. “I have always been fascinated by Sahir… his works had a great influence on me since my childhood, so I could relate to the character on a very personal level.” With tangibly stellar talent and deep character-actor intimacy, both actors gave breath-taking performances that were easy on the eyes, and heavy on the heart.
(Photo credits: Teamwork Productions Singapore)
Having been staged in a yesteryear of socio-political metamorphosis, certain feminist issues were repeatedly alluded to, which was an important contrast to a love story staged in an otherwise patriarchal context. Yet what struck me was the standing relevance of certain remarks made by the female protagonist; on how men are generally taught to be superior to women, and so women feel the need to be dependent on men. It is not uncommon to hear that such ideology is already so ingrained in us as a society that a prominent change is unlikely – I leave it to you to decide whether or not we are capable of that change.
As a romantic at heart, I thoroughly appreciated the play’s depiction of an “achievable romance” – romance that harped on neither grandeur nor unnecessary frivolities. The script maintained a prime focus on the relationship’s dynamics, and conveyed a love story so simple yet intense that it was perfectly plausible. What’s more, it seemed perfectly attainable – leaving behind a sweet hope within the audience as the curtains closed.