Posted:
Hello Peeps,
Just back from the premiere screening of Do Fool Chaar Maali...the play was rather lacklustre...Akshay Dogra was terrific, all energy and passion as Amar, Uttkarsha Naik was fabulous, she is such a spontaneous person...and with natural screen presence. Pyumori was good too as her sister, I kept thinking of the scene where she is hiding from Daadi during the haldi ceremony (!). Deepali Pansare was sweet, lovable and petite as Rupali, who played the love interest of - not Akshay, but Allan, the other lead...while Ankita played Deepali, Akshay's lady love. And no...I am not forgetting our man Barun here! they felicitated him in the beginning, called him up and gave him a bouquet, and what an ovation - the whole auditorium broke into shouts of "Barun, we love you"...the man looked most nervous and taken aback from the beginning itself! What struck me throughout was how small he seemed in real life - of course as narrator he was sporting his current trade mark beard and long locks gelled back look...not our ASR at all, even with the suit! he seemed distinctly uncomfortable to be part of the show, wonder why! Definitely got the impression he was doing it for Akshay and old times sake. Every time he came on stage to anchor the narration, which was disappointingly really little, as the play was a situational comedy, about two friends landing up in Dubai, trying to find a job, and then conning four women to achieve their ends - the audience went wild and hardly allowed him to speak.
I do have some gripes with the organizers. They started rather late - 30 minutes off schedule, then there was constant movement of props between scenes, and a lot of hold up, leading to a certain disconnect in the audience's attention span. and the entire thing was rather amateurish at best. Why bring our show's amazing cast all the way here and subject them to this is rather telling. But for Barun Sobti's charisma and popularity, which they were banking on, the play itself was average fare.
Barun Sobti himself is a class act of course...seeing him up close is a revelation...the man simply has no clue how to handle his fame...so as one of his biggest fans, can only suggest he gets some lessons in public speaking, handling people and attention, and takes some much-needed dance lessons! His great camaraderie with Akshay was plain to see. Half way through when there was a small hold-up, Akshay and Barun did a spot of ad-lobbing in front of the screens...Akshay asked the audience what they wanted to say to Barun, and said, "Shall we make Barun dance?" To which the man replied, " I can't dance to save my life!" Finally one of the show's fans from the audience called out..."Say What The...". Well he obliged with a stilted "What the..." Before walking off into the wings. Akshay said now you guys have chased him off.
All things considered, an experience definitely. Barun Sobti poised on the brink of stardom as one of his films gets ready to release, and the second gets ready to be filmed, is a sight to behold. Humble, down-to-earth and unbelievably nervous, it is difficult to picture him now as The powerful business tycoon who set hearts racing when he stepped off the helicopter and into the hearts of his viewers on 6th June 2011. He has many miles to go of course, and will probably learn the ropes along the way, becoming as madly savvy as SRK or Hrithik Roshan.
A big shout out to the rest of the cast. The girl who supported Barun in the narration was spiritedly, witty and had a good stage presence. Mrinal Shekhar I think her name was. Allan, the second lead with Akshay was cute too. The star of the show though, apart from a vibrant Manorama Mami was our very own Akashi Bitwa. Akshay Dogra is brilliant, and it is sad we never saw him in this avatar in IPKKND. Deepali Pansare too is petite and so different from ever-worried Payal in IPKKND. missed Sanaya Irani...now she would really have turned this thing on its head...also learned today that TV does magnify and make everyone seem larger than life...in life you realize they are just the same as you and me! And just some advice for Sobti boy...ironically the same one he gave Khushi Kumari Gupta before the Yoga Rabba Ve...Put on some weight Barun!!
that's it folks, hope I have been able to bring you some glimpses of what happened with the play in Dubai!
Oh, and the icing on the cake...met some other IF members. ROLDC and Sanjana...this shout out for them. interesting that Barun Sobti and the IPKKND phenomenon has brought so many different individuals with no common factor, together! Before the play began, I also heard a father who had three daughters, aged 10, 12 and 13 years ask his friend who this Barun Sobti was...his kids had insisted he bring them to see him. Well Barun, mind-boggling your fan base - men, women and kids, it seems from six to 60 and beyond! Awesome!! Impressed! Respectđ
Love you all.
Anupama
Book Talk
