BWW Previews: MAKRAND DESHPANDE'S Epic Gadbad holds an important social weddings

Famous theatre personality Makrand Deshpande's 50th play Epic Gadbad was recently staged in Mumbai. The play takes a satirical look at the receptacle wedding has become in the country. The two act play looks how crazy themes and ideas have taken over the essence of wedding. Most people today spend more time and energy thinking of one wacky idea or another for their wedding function rather than concentrating on the rituals that actually make a marriage. The play was staged in Mumbai at the very popular Prithvi Theatre earlier this month between July 19- July 21.

Talking about the play, its playwright MAakrand Deshpande says, "The play touches upon the latest trend where everyone is trying to one up on the crazy ideas and themes that they want to explore for a wedding and to what length do people go to fulfil their desire for that perfect wedding. And how the playwright in me thought that it could be a perfect opportunity for farce and created Epic Gadbad."
The play opens with mind blowing performances by theatre actors Sanjay Dadhich, Ninad Limaye and Akanksha Gade. the story line revolves around the protagonist Arti, who wishes for a fairy tale wedding. But in her attempts to make her wedding as lavish and flamboyant as possible various debacles happen. What was envisioned as a historical wedding turns into a series of hysterical events.

What makes this hour long performance riveting is the fact that through humor often there is a direct commentary on what has become of our society. Whether it is the keeping up with the joneses attitude or a herd mentality to be one up above your neighbor but often people cross all boundaries and their financial powers to show to the world a splendid wedding function. But in all this celebration and feasting, the actual meaning of a traditional wedding is lost.

Arti is powerful in her role and writer and director Makrand Deshpande has written the script with perfect tautness. There is never a dull moment and the audiences are kept engaged through out. Set design by Teddy Maurya adds to the appeal. But what remains for a long time with the audience, after they have left the theatre is the fact that it is perhaps one of the few times that farce has been used to convey at important social subject.

Talking about using farce as a medium to tell the story, Deshpande says, "I might have written a lot more but, this is the 50th original script reaching the performing stage. The journey till now has been a learning experience, after experimenting with various genres like mythology, fantasy, comedy, romance, absurdity, satire - one understands the gravity of a subject. This time around I am dabbling with farce."

Without giving too much out of storyline, we recommend do go watch the show during its next outing, whether or not you or someone close to you plans to organize an epic wedding!