Review - હું, ચંદ્રકાંત બક્ષી

Hu Chandrakant Bakshi (હું, ચંદ્રકાંત બક્ષી) - an one and half hour drama was staged at Rangmandal yesterday. For the first time, the hall was houseful with more than 300 people sitting and standing, and watching one man on stage for entire duration. yes, it was a monologue. 

I have only heard of Bakshi's attitude, who at times was termed as egoistic. So, for me it was a new experience of watching a biographical play without knowing much about the personality. The full house, naturally, raised my expectation and all of them were met and succeeded by miles. 

Biographical plays are difficult to perform within theatrical limitations unlike movies, where one can expand horizons. In theater, the life needs to be told within the devices available on and around stage. These devises are something that I would like to talk about. These, to me, are metaphor of four faculty of human existence. These are a) screenplay (Mind), b) stage design (Body), c) acting  (Heart), and d) direction (Soul). 

Screenplay of this play is indeed rhythmic but still very focused. It is this style of storytelling that holds curiosity of audience till the end. There are movement across time and space in the storytelling but the weaving of these events is so artful that it does not allow one's mind to wander beyond the boundaries set by the writer. At times, there are sharp movement across time lapse of few decades and four cities, and as an audience, I needed bit of efforts to stay with the story. The remarks about depiction of sexuality in stories, and reference to the case of obscenity, brings memories of Saadat Hasan Manto and his struggle to the fore. Overall, the script was an appropriate intellectual inputs into storytelling of highly intellectual prolific write of out times. However, certain acidic remarks on 2002, despite being factually correct, could have been best avoided to preserve the aesthetics, focus and tone of the play. The 'normalization of relationships' in context of Bakshi's relationship with his mother - as well as the joy of being father - was sensitively portrayed and remained highlight of his sentimental side. Personal remarks in context of the case regarding Saadhna Collge could have been avoided. Overall, Shishir Ramavat deserves standing ovation, as his writing had raised the bars for both director and actor to match up their inputs to take the play to the level at which it has reached. Best contribution of screenplay, to my mind, has been the explanation of 'hu'; in the beginning of the play itself, Bakshi explains that 'hunkar' is like an 'omkar' to him and that ego keeps a broken person intact (તૂટેલા માણસને એક જ વસ્તુ ટકાવી રખાવે છે - તેનો અહમ). Indeed, there was this fragile side of Bakshi as well, where his ego was emanating from.

Stage Design is like body through which other faculty express. It was indeed audacious to rely on simplistic stage design, especially in the monologues. There were hardly six things on stage and there was no set. A step ladder, A table, A chair and A bottle or two and a glass. Whatever little there was to the design, it was used to the hilt. There wasn't anything extra - as Mr Bakshi would have liked it in context of what he said about his body comparing his physically fit body with plum figure of many Gujarati men. Fit and fine and not an extra inch of fat, he said in the play - similarly the stage also did not have anything that was uncalled for. But, what an amazing use of properties on stage. At first, I thought the step ladder was not removed after light adjustment and was lying there mistakenly. My misconception was gone right from the scene one, and I was given to understand the importance of this MOST important prop of the play all along till the climax scene. It was indeed impressive use of one single prop, not a common trait in Gujarati theater that relies on elaborate stage and variety of stage and actor properties. Actor properties were also very few. The use of overcoat was very strategical and rhythmic to the ups and downs of Bakshi's life. The protagonist would wear it while he is describing 'ups' of his life and it was removed when 'downs' are being discussed. The small prop of bottle of pills was so aptly and adequately used. The use of music and light was smooth, appropriate and tasteful too. I particularly remember and appreciate the use of profile when the protagonist is showing his back to the audience and exapanding his shadows to express the vastness of Kolkata; ah, what an imagination and beautiful use of lights.

Acting of solo player Pratik Gandhi was indeed the heart of the play. What an actor and what an energy. Indeed, it takes phenomenal efforts to hold 300 plus audience, all by oneself, for one and half hour. The throw of dialogues, punctuations, delivery, movement, pauses, and expressions all were almost perfect. The carefree, egoist, acidic and intellectual Bakshi was made all alive. Of course, he was given an excellent script and was under able hands of a visionary director. However, Gandhi proved that even if the script would have been weaker, he could have brought Bakshi onto the stage, all by himself. Need I say any more, about this young potential?!!!

Finally, the direction. The intangible, unfathomable soul of the play. What an imagination, what an intensity and sensitivity in portraying a person. And that too within limitations of the stage; the entire play was performed only in half of the stage and the protagonist did not even once crossed the ladder. However, the other half was created out of the height. The stage was visualized not only as flat length, breadth and width, but there was this dimension of height as well with the use of step ladder. Height, which was also metaphor as far as the style of Bakshi is concerned. The extensive vision of director can be understood from two visually stunning but diagonally opposite scenes of a) marathon running and b) heart attack. Both these scenes were strategically visualized and executed to portray the span of what Bakshi was. Indeed, it is a masterpiece of direction. 

I have yet to read Bakshi. The play not only inspired me to read him extensively, but also inspired me to become a writer - one who can express thoughts without filtering them and one who writes his mind without bothering about repercussions. 

Kudos to Kabir Thakor and Rangmandal to bring this kind of plays to us.