Review: DEVEN KHOTE'S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT Good Mourning Is A Commendable Comedy

Theatre veteran and Bollywood producer and director Deven Khote of hits such as Paan Singh Tomar fame made his theatre directorial debut this week. His first play entitled, Good Mourning is a dark comedy that leaves a lingering impact on the viewers' mind.

Staged in Mumbai on August 23rd and 24th the play also enjoys an ensemble cast. The cast of Good Mourning includes Lola Kutty fame Anuradha Menon, Zafar Karachiwala, Sohrab Ardeshir, Ryatasha Rathore, Aseem Hattangady amongst others. With most of its cast boasting of a prolific theatre experience it is only natural to expect a great stage show. The play is written by British film and television actor Kavi Shastri. The play opens with a morbid tragedy where the protagonist Rahul falls off the window of his first floor home and dies. Now his partner Laila is left wallowing in grief. But before you envision the usual grief laden scenes where you see a stream of relatives dressed in whites, tears and sobs here is where the play takes you by surprise. While Laila does see a stream of relatives but they come with their own quirks and eccentricities. As people assemble for a period of mourning, all hell breaks lose. Various emotions that had been laying under the carpet are brought to the fore.

There are suspicions, accusations, back biting, angry exchanges and acrimonious discussions that take center stage during what was supposed to be a period of grieving. As it happens in the case of any unnatural death, there are speculations on whether Rahul, the protagonist die by accident or was it a suicide. There is a shroud of mystery that takes over and what comes tumbling forth is a masterpiece of work.

It is not easy to tread into a comic territory with the subject matter of death in the story but Deven Khote manages to walk the line with precision and the play succeeds in making the audience laugh but not without taking a deep look within ones' self.