Review: JEFF GOLDBERG STUDIO PRESENTATION Aadhe Adhure Is An Important Family Play

While much is happening in the Indian theatre scene ranging from shows about current world order to bringing back ancient mythologies, sometimes it is the simple, every day stories that win hearts.

The same can be said for the just showcased play Aadhe Adhure. Directed by playwright Ashok Pandey, Aadhe Adhure is presentation from Jeff Goldberg Studio. The play follows a sensitive story of a family caught in the web of destitution. The family of five, their situations and the poignant dialogues form the core of the story. The classic play written by Mohan Rakesh was originally written in 1969. The play is about a central character -- a woman named Savitri, who is a mother of three children. Even after working hard, Savitri is barely able to make the ends meet. Driven by poverty she is looking for a solution to her family problems. She tries all means including sweet-talking her boss -- all in a bid to find employment for her son. Savitri's miseries are compounded by a husband who is not only jobless but also critical and unappreciative of his wife. The son for whom, Savitri is willing to go to great lengths too remains unsure of his mothers' sacrifices and is reluctant to take boss' help. The jobless son too whiles away his time reading magazines and collecting pictures of Hollywood icons. The daughter is back to her maternal home, after finding lack of success in a marriage with a guy whom she ran away with a few years ago. The other younger daughter is curious about the world and is focussing her energies in finding about the birds and the bees.

The play has terse and tense moments and the audience is found empathizing with the family's problems. The castr comprosing Ashok Pandey, Komal Chhabria, Sadhika Syal create just the right emotions.

The play is a nice, sensitive watch that helps you be thankful for many things in life that you may be taking for granted. Do watch it.