Interview: Meherzad Patel of THE CLASS ACT at Prithvi Theatre

Director-actor Meherzad Patel is put with his new production 'The Class Act.'

The play that has been gathering critical acclaim. The main plot is an English comedy that revolves around the chaotic activities that ensue when four stereo-typical students, a veteran Hindu theatre artist from Delhi, a 50-year-old Parsi bachelor who lives with his father and loves his bike, a typical laid back Goan Christian lad and the protagonist, a clean shaven Muslim man, come together to learn acting under the supervision of an aristocratic teacher.

BWW chats with Meherzad Patel about the play and theatre in India.

Tell us about the play and how it was conceptualized initially?

I was sitting in a law office as an intern pondering over my thoughts and this just came to me because of the unity in diversity that our city faces on a daily basis. India as a country is not really explored even by the people living here. Everyone is so ignorant of the other person because they are involved in their own lives and I am guilty of that myself just like anybody else. And that is reflected in the play through humor. It took around six to eight months to conceptualize this with the cast.

Why did you plan to bring it back?

So this play was performed when we were very young as a company. We did not have access to all these big auditoriums as we do today, and the financial backing that we have today, just through sheer audience support, not even some sponsor or corporate. It just allows us to finally do this show at a venue that is apt for a play that is funny and commercially successful.

How is it different from its previous run?

They say that if something's not broken, don't try to fix it. And that is precisely what we have done with this play. Even though we make minor changes they are so my minor, that the audience doesn't realize it, but had we not made those changes, they would. It's our duty that this joke is not relevant in today's day and age and that is a task, which we undertake in our rehearsal religiously.

Have you retained the same actors or there have been changes?

Maanvi Gagroo initially did the first 6 rows with us and then she went back to Delhi, because she was ill and she didn't do the show after that and then we did three or four players after that together, so its not like that sort of a fall out. We both always wanted to do this play together again and when the opportunity came, I couldn't look beyond her for this part and so I am very grateful that she is back in our family

What message if any you are sending through this play?

Unity in diversity is a concept that has got us through independence of India but unfortunately independent India is still under siege of the government. We live in a society where we are taught that Hindus and Muslims should not be friends and we live in a society where we give labels to people. Everyone has a label and that label is defining you despite you being a completely different human being. When you watch this play, you will realize that a Hindu Muslim Christian and Parsi can all live under one roof harmoniously and will make you laugh till your jaw hurts

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