UNUSUAL TALE OF LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP

Actor-director Lillete Dubey, whose first love is theatre, is back with another theatrical production — Salaam, Noni Appa. The story, part of author Twinkle Khanna’s best-seller — The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, is being adapted to stage by writer Adhir Bhat. The 90-minute English play stars actors Jayati Bhatia, Darshan Jariwala, Meher Dar and Rishi Khurana, and follows the tale of a woman who is on the path to find love in the autumn of her life. It celebrates feminism and unleashes the freedom to embrace different choices, also sketching the whims, humour, free spirit and frivolity of the two widowed sisters Noni and Binni, and their findings of new love and unadulterated relationships.

About why she resonated with this story in particular, Lillete Dubey, who also stars in the play, says, “Maybe because I am getting close to this age. Subconsciously, I get attracted to stories where the protagonists are women. The story is authentic, and has a tongue in cheek humour. It has a sharp observation of small everyday things.”

Speaking on the challenges of bringing the characters alive on the stage, she says, “The main thing was to be true to the story [from the book]. Jayati and I also speak in Kutchi to give it the required flavour. Every time I do a play, I follow my gut [feeling]. As a director and producer, I have done plays on broad themes from sexual abuse to classical music. This play stems from wanting [to do] something different.”

Actor Darshan Jariwala plays the role of a retired person Anand, who teaches Yoga. “Many of us go through life thinking about others. Before one finally goes towards the light, it’s necessary to experience whatever joy is there on the journey called life. My character undergoes selfdiscovery when he meets the two sisters and gets drawn to the elder one,” he signs off.