Chekhov ki Duniya by Neil Simon
The Play
Chekhov ki Duniya is a collection of six short stories by Chekhov. Cheenk: The story is filled with irony. It includes “The Sneezer” who cannot apologize enough to a blustering general for splattering a sneeze on his head at the opera. Surgery: The story of a man with a toothache faced with what looks like medieval instruments of
torture and an inexperienced dental assistant. Shikari shows a man-about-town using a husband as the conduit for his attempted seduction ofthe man’s wife, Irena. Besahara Aurat: It features a wild woman with a nervous disorder who tries to extort money from a banker. Dooba Hua Aadmi: It is the story of a man who earns by ‘drowning’.
The Gift: A tale of a very concerned and dedicated father who thrusts his shy, 19-year old son into manhood.
Director’s Note
This collection of stories from Chekhov touches every major human emotion. I wanted this width in emotional panorama for this production. I wanted this play to be an emotional journey for the audience. So while I have used music and lighting to make the emotional experience come alive I ave kept the stage bereft of any major set that may distract. The characterization is so strong that as a Director my job really was to make the actor understand the character, the circumstances and the emotional state rather than tell them what to do. This gives tremendous freedom to the actor and an immense satisfaction to me to see the play unravel. The actor and I begin to think on the same wavelength as the play progresses. This allows for experimentation, discussion and innovation, making the entire process and the final product truly delightful to the actors, me and hopefully for the audience.
The Director & Adaptor
Ranjit Kapoor joined the National school of Drama, where he specialized in Direction, winning the Best Director Award when he qualified for his diploma in 1976. Ranjit Kapoor is well known also as a translator and adaptor of plays, and an actor and a writer of screenplays. He has directed a number of television serials, written dialogues for popular films such as Jane Bhi Do Yaron, Mohan Joshi Haazir Hon, Woh Saat Din, and Bandit Queen, as well as screenplays for Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, Khamosh, Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Mangal Pandey, Halla Bol and other films. He has written songs and composed music for several films and directed feature films viz.
Chintu ji starring Rishi Kapoor, and Jai Ho Democracy. He is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad Samman of Delhi, Shikhar Samman, the Sansui Award, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
The Group
The first production of The Entertainers, New Delhi was Lomar Vesh directed by Shailendra Goel. Ek Ghoda Chhey Sawaar, Court Martial, Kaua Chala Hans Ki Chaal, Mera Dost Bhootnath, Ek Sansadiya Samiti Ki Utthak Baithak, Afvaah and Chekhov ki Duniya are some of its major productions. The group has performed extensively for the Sangeet Natak Akademi, NSD Annual festivals and World Performing Arts Festival in Lahore. In the year 2007, its play Chekhov Ki Duniya was nominated for five awards at the prestigious Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards.
Cast & Credits
Chheenk
Clerk Ashwin Chadha
Clerk’s Wife Mukta Singh
General Amitabh Srivastava
General’s Wife Tabbasum
Surgery
Padri Shailendra Jain
Dr.’s Assistant Brij Bhushan Shukla
Shikari
Peter Ashwin Chadha
Husband Amitabh Srivastava
Wife Mukta Singh
Besahara Aurat
Bank Manager Amitabh Srivastava
Assistant Wamiq Abbasi
Besahara Aurat Poonam Girdhani
Dooba Hua Aadmi
Writer Sunil Upadhyay
Aadmi Wamiq Abbasi
Sipahi Shailendra Jain
The Gift
Father Amitabh Srivastava
Son Sunil Upadhyay
Prostitute Mukta Singh
Chekhov (in all stories) Sunil Upadhyay
Lights Raghav Prakash
Costume Anila Singh
Music Operator Daniyaal Abbasi
Music Design Ranjit Kapoor
Playwright Neil Simon
Adaption & Direction Ranjit Kapoor