Cranky Old Men:
A play about two cantankerous old men bickering ought not to be so hilarious, but it is, because there’s Neil Simon’s genius at work– the playwright could mine comic gold out of the most mundane situations.
His 1972 play, The Sunshine Boys, is about two retired Vaudeville comedians invited to do a spot on a television show as a tribute to 42 years of a successful partnership on a hit show. They parted on a bitter note, have not met for over a decade, so when they come face to face, they have a lot to say to each other, most of it unpleasant.
Farrukh Seyer and Avinash Gautam’ excellent adaptation, Purane Chawal, with Sumeet Vyas directing, places the story in Mumbai, where, one half of the eponymous long-lasting comedy duo, Mehndi (Kumud Mishra) lives alone. He spends idle, lonely days sitting in a recliner watching TV and waiting for the weekly visit from his nephew-cum-manager, Vicky (Ghanshyam Lalsa), who brings a copy of a magazine, which gives the old man news of who has passed away recently.
Mehndi deludes himself into imagining he is still in demand in showbiz, but his memory loss makes it difficult for Vicky to get him work.
Then comes a lucrative offer to shoot a scene from one of the old Purane Chawal skits, for which Mehndi will have to reunite with his former partner, VD (Shubrajyoti Barat).
VD lives with his daughter in Alibag, and looks like retirement has treated him better than it has Mehndi.
The two meet in Mehndi’s tiny flat, because he insists on a rehearsal, and all the past grudges come gushing out in a burst of insults and silly oneupmanship that could have been part of their comedy act, if it still existed. Their antics on the set drive everyone nuts!
The original play gave great parts to comic actors and legends like George Burns and Walter Matthau have played them in the 1975 film. There have been several stage and screen versions since, because Simon’s blend of humour and pathos never gets dated.
Life in general and show business in particular can be brutal to the aged; VD has accepted his fate, while Mehndi rages against it. How the play conveys Simon’s light yet complex emotions finally depends on the actors. Mishra and Barat are nowhere near the age of the two characters, but have managed to play the crotchety old men, without turning them into caricatures or going over the top; Mishra is so funny, laughter and applause in the theatre often drowns out the next lines.
It’s good to watch the two actors, skilfully directed by Sumeet Vyas, who is an actor with a sense of comic timing. The simple, functional set design uses space on the stage optimally and gives the actors room to move around comfortably.
Despite its melancholy undertones, Purane Chawal is an enjoyable play.
(This piece first appeared in mumbaitheatreguide.com)
