| Narayani Shastri (Rhimjhim of Piya Ka Ghar) steps on to the floorboards this Sunday in Ashvin Gidwani's play, Mad About Money, written and directed by Mahesh Dattani (Mango Souffl, Morning Raga).
But this is not the actress's thetre debut. "You can call it my first commercial play though," says Narayani, whose first brush with theatre happened over six years ago — before her small screen calling. And she has done play swith celebrated names like Ebrahim Alkazi and Habib Tanvir.
"Comparatively, Mad About Money is like doing five-star theatre. Commercial theatre is a different experience altogether," says Narayani, who is cast along with Jayati Bhatia, Amar Talwar, Gaurav Sharma and Smita Bansal. | Working with greats
Narayani's debut on the floorboards was with a play called Gharonda, which was directed by Alkazi's student Shailendra Gaurav at the Bharatiya Vidya Mandir. "Through this play, I was introduced to the Habib Tanvir world of Naya theatre; as Alkazi's students knew Tanvir's students."
Narayani recalls travelling to Bhopal and doing plays in Chhatisgarhi. "It's amazing to see Habib saab pick up people from villages and groom them. They can barely speak well, and they go on to perform plays in Sanskrit, no less! In his world of theatre, everyone is equal. Actors end up doing even backstage work, and become experts in the craft.
You travel in trains, second class, and once I even had to share my room with two boys! And no one even cares in his world, as they are so immersed in their stagecraft. There is no such thing as being male or female; everyone is an individual."
Narayani says she has retained the Rs 100 note which Tanvir had given her. "I have kept it and it is one of my prized possessions." She was part of two of Tanvir's plays — Charandas Chor and Kamdeo ka Apna Basant Ritu ka Sapna (A Midsummer's Night Dream). "This was my training ground for the world of stage," says Narayani, who plays a scheming woman in Mad About Money.
Though Narayani has acted in a Marathi film Pak Pak Pakao, she does not see herself doing Marathi theatre. "When it comes to speaking non-stop in Marathi, my language gets pathetic," she moans. | | Narayani's TV front
"Rhimjhim is dead and it is curtains for Piya Ka Ghar," says Narayani Shastri about her small screen persona. After being the protagonist of the Zee soap, Narayani is now immersed in her play and its rehearsals, "which keep me busy". She has also shot for two pilot episodes, "so it is not exactly right to talk about it now". | | | | What the play is about |
| | | Gaurav Sharma and Jayati Bhatia | This comedy in English revolves around Hasmukh Mehta (Amar Talwar), a self-made man who can't get along with wife Sonal (Jayati Bhatia) and son Ajit (Gaurav Sharma). He feels his daughter-in-law Preethi (Smita Bansal) is a sly woman, and all of them are after his money.
Enter Kiran (Narayani Shasatri), a shrewd marketing executive, who also doubles up as Hasmukh's mistress. Her job is to run the Mehta household according to Hasmukh's orders. But there is a rude shock for everyone in store. Mad About Money will be staged on Sunday at Tata Theatre, Nariman Point | | | | | Producer Ashvin Gidwani and director Mahesh Dattani at the play's launch party at Seijo, Bandra | Smita Bansal and Amar Talwar | | |
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