Bade Miyaan Deewane: A Review

As the title and poster might suggest, the play ‘Bade Miyaan Deewaane’ is set in retro Bollywood style. It is light-hearted comedy enriched with subtle humour, satire, and the occasional Urdu ‘Shayari’. Being the main production of this semester, the Aaina Dramatics club made sure that the play successfully captured various components of a classic theater performance.

Overview:

“The play is essentially about a rich eccentric octogenarian who is used to living a luxurious and flamboyant life. He’s swept off his feet by a beautiful young girl in his neighbourhood, who incidentally is also the love interest of his son. As a result, he is embroiled in an unwanted sticky situation and all this leads to major confusion, misunderstanding, jealousy and an utterly hilarious series of events.”

Cast and Characters:

Prateek Singh as ‘Meer’– Meer is the rich old man who has fallen in love with the beautiful girl in the neighbourhood. Considering the plot of the play, it can be ambiguous to define Meer’s character as the protagonist or the antagonist of the play. With his shaky, thin accent, the bent down stance, and the callous make-up, Prateek Singh as ‘Meer’ was evidently the most acknowledged cast of the evening.

Siddhant Pandey as ‘Chilla’– Chilla is Meer’s loyal servant who played an important role in employing sarcasm in the play. Subject to his master’s insults and beating, Siddhant Pandey with his comical accent and confused expressions brought life to the role of Chilla.

Varun Kapoor as ‘Shauqat’– Tall and well-built, Varun Kapoor appropriately suited his character, Shauqat, a writer who lives in the village and acts as a close, personal acquaintance to Meer as well as Sheikh. A strong grasp on words, as well as delicate enunciation,  were the features that made this Shauqat stand out.

Nikhil Dubey as ‘Tabish’– Tabish, a lawyer, is Meer’s son who is in a romantic relationship with the same girl his father wishes to marry. He plays a key part in establishing the chaotic ending of the play. With the build of a young, romantic gentleman, Nikhil Dubey through his dialogue delivery and facial expressions successfully imparted the image of a rebellious son.

Shreya Bansal as ‘Gulab’ and Shivalika Chaudhary as ‘Heera’– Gulab and Heera are two dancers who pretend to be affectionate towards Meer in an attempt to gain his wealth. With their beauty and charms, they both try to win Meer’s love. Although the characters did not play a significant role in the beginning, their presence towards the climax was a crucial feature. Shreya Bansal and Shivalika Chaudhary in their beautiful attire, with their gracious dances, and poetical words have done the role justice.

Subuhi Zaidi as ‘Suraiyya’– Suraiyya is Sheikh’s daughter and the girl whom Meer intends to marry. Subuhi has efficiently played the role of a young girl who is in love. From tip-toeing around her parents to moments of blushing while meeting Tabish, Subuhi truly brought out the artist in her.

Piyush Pandey as ‘Sheikh’– Sheikh is Suraiyya’s father who helps Shauqat in a plot to fool Meer. An important comic role in the play, Piyush Pandey with his chuckles and frequent lame jokes aptly characterized Sheikh’s role.

Isha Apte as ‘Shikhani’– Shikhani is Suraiyya’s mother who has an important part in the plot against Meer. She is often the one to retort to her husband’s jokes and bring satire into the play. With her charm and elegant costume, Isha Apte has gracefully performed the role of Shikhani.

Ishaan Mishra as ‘Puttan’– Puttan is a local tea vendor who often hosts the characters at his shop. It is here that the Shauqat’s plot brews and where all the gossip takes place. Similar to Chilla, Puttan’s role is another major comic of the play. Puttan plays a very important role in the play’s climax. Ishaan Mishra has employed a humorous accent and comical actions to justify the role of Puttan appropriately.

Music and Lights:

By employing instruments such as the ‘dhol’, harmonium, and ‘ghungroo’, Aaina Dramatics made sure that the music was one of the most soulful aspects of the evening. Suiting the setup of the play, the music play had a significant touch of ‘kavvali’ in it. The tunes played during the play as well as the song during the dance sequence were calming, and had a strong impact as the play progressed. A minor drawback was when the music often overshadowed the dialogues of the characters.

The lighting arrangement of the play had utilised a definite contrast of colours for various scenes. Careful adjustments had been done so as to enhance the beauty of costumes donned by the characters.

Director’s Note:

“The play ‘Bade Miyaan Deewane’ was always planned to be funny. But as we started reading the script we found that it covers all the domains and not just comedy. It was a great experience to work on such a play and have as much fun as we did while directing it.”

-Rakshit Yaduvanshi and Gaurav Chatterjee

Personal Note:

Although the plot and progress of the play were gripping and hilarious, it seemed to take a little too long to build up. All other aspects—the music, the acting, and the direction— were up to the mark. As they do every semester, Aaina Dramatics once again has pleased its audience with their spectacular main production.

~Written by Tejas Mishra for MTTN

~Picture credits: Mridul