Rhishikesh Vaidya’s MORPHOSIS Director: Bapi Bose

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Playwright: Rhishikesh Vaidya

Director: Bapi Bose

Group: Circle Theatre Company, Delhi

Language: Hindi

Duration: 2 hrs 30 mins

The Play

Prasad is a popular theatre actor, who considers himself to be the best and doesn’t value his co-actresses. His ego is quite visible during his conversation with his secretary Mohit. During the days of his struggle, Bhowmik, a fellow actor & friend, comes to meet him with an issue which leads to a heated argument between the two. Bhowmik challenges Prasad to work in the play titled Morphosis, since Prasad doesn’t have enough talent for the lead role of Manas. Prasad accepts the challenge and approaches Guruji, the director of the play. Guruji had once insulted Prasad and this time too he leaves no stone unturned to humiliate him, and yet chooses Prasad for the role of Manas. The process begins – tireless preparation for the character, journey of commitment, strict discipline, dedication, sacrifice, love and self-analysis…. and finally a ‘Morphosis’.

Director’s Note

The play is based on the real story of an arrogant actor and a top ranking film director in Bollywood who appeared in the actor’s life as a blessing in disguise and turned him into a very successful, and one of the highest paid actors in the industry. It is a play about what an actor and acting is all about. The text of the play has been kept as it is.    

The Director

The multifaceted Bapi Bose is a prominent and radical director, activist, ideologue and thinker of Contemporary Indian Theatre. Mr. Bose is a practitioner of New Media and Installation Art which he incorporates consistently in many of his productions. He teaches in many theatre institutes and theatre departments of various universities including the National School of Drama, New Delhi. At present he is working as a freelance designer, director, and teacher, and is the Founder & Artistic Director of Circle Theatre, a professional theatre company in Delhi. He has been awarded scholarships and fellowships, Netaji Samman (Gold Medal), Natsamrat Award, Patliputra Lifetime Achievement Award etc. Bapi Bose has been bestowed with the National Award, conferred by the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

The Playwright

Rhishikesh Vaidya’s first literary work was Krishna Nahi Ban Paunga, a collection of Hindi ghazals and poetry. During the preparations of civil services, he came across the works of Mohan Rakesh. These inspired him to become a playwright. He has written stage plays and Radio plays. Jawab Do Gandhi, Uske Baad, Khat-Khat-Khat, Kaun and Morphosis are some of his noted plays. He bagged the Mohan Rakesh Award by Sahitya Kala Parishad and a short film was produced on his play Ateet Aur Vartman based on Birsa Munda. His plays are broadcast by All India Radio, Indore.

The Group

Formed in 2002, under the leadership of Bapi Bose, Circle Theatre staged its first production in the 4th Bharat Rang Mahotsav (the International Theatre Festival of NSD). All its productions have excelled in terms of artistic quality, expression and social message. It has been awarded by the Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Govt. of NCT Delhi; and has participated in Bharat Rang Mahotsav and its Satellite Theatre Festival in Kolkata, and also in the 8th Theatre Olympics held in India. Circle Theatre has a library of over a thousand books and journals on theatre, and has been regularly engaged in organizing training programs and other theatre activities.

Cast & Credits

Prasad: Sahil Singh Sethi

Gurujee : Suman Vaidya

Disha: Swati Kumar

Bhowmick: Akhilesh Dwivedi

Kumar: Hurmat Ali Khan

Doorva: Anupama Kaushik

Mohit: Kamal Kashyap

Chowkidar: Akhilesh Dwivedi

Malati: Tanu Suneja

Artists of the Company: Prince Mishra, Raju Sharma, Jagdish Mali, Shailendra Kumar, Akash Sarraf, Ashwani Saini, Ashish Singh, Amitesh Raj, Maitreyee Kuhu                        

Stage Manager: Akhilesh Dwivedi

Set, Costume & Property Design: Bapi Bose

Set Execution: Dalvir Singh (Billa)

Set In charge: Prince Mishra

Set Assistance: Ashish Singh                       

Light Design: Bapi Bose

Light Execution : Barun Kar

Costume In charge (Male): Akash Sarraf

Costume Assistance (Male): Ashwini Saini

Costume In charge (Female): Maitreyee Kuhu                        

Costume Assistance (Female): Swati Kumar

Property In charge: Raju Mishra

Property Assistance: Shailendra Kumar

Sound, Music Design & Selection: Bapi Bose

Sound Editing & Mixing: Shubhanjan

Sound & Video Operation: Barun Kar

Video Installation & Editing: Vishal Mahale

Choreography: Arun Kumar

Make-up: Rajeev Roychowdhury

Brochure & Poster Design: Bapi Bose

Layout & Printing: Gautam, Zen Advertisement

Still Photography: Piyal Bhattachariya, Samik Sen

Exhibition & Research: Bapi Bose

Liaison & Publicity: Vikas Bahari

Production In charge: Shahbaz Khan

Technical In charge: Barun Kar

Assistant to Director: Jagdish Mali

Assistant Director: Vikas Bahari

Playwright: Rhishikesh Vaidya

Concept, Scenography & Direction: Bapi Bose

Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

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