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IIT world Finding love and life

The attitude of the happy go lucky and care-a-damn Melissa growing into a confused artist juxtaposed with the emotions of the ever sure Andy and the way not only their individual lives but also their relationship (with each other) grows makes for a really thought-provoking and pleasurable viewing. It is thought that reading makes one aware of his feelings or rather it gives words to our feelings but this play and the character of Andy makes us realise that writing is what strengthens our relationship with others paving the way for a successful life and a strong bond with all around us. It is while writing to Melissa itself that Andy unknowingly gets his answers to the situation on hand and this makes him write more to Melissa. Writing to Andy acts like a rudder to Melissa. Their non-judgemental approach to each other forges a strong bond between them in spite of their contrasting personalities. All this comes through very vibrantly in the script and their acting. The use of the coloured boxes in the background of their black and white dress really help in enhancing the mood of the situation. I am sure that every viewing will bring out a different interpretation to this play and that makes me look forward to a repeat viewing. All in all in spite of the thermostat, the performance and the script really kept the audience cosy.

The image that haunts me long after the play ends, is the shivering silhouette of Rajit, as he faces a cross, and a future depleted of ’love letters.’

Laced with ribald humour, Love Letters offers rich insight of dissimilar childhood friends sharing lifetimes through letters one hates but cannot stop writing: eroded parenting, hopes of whipping up a romance, letters forming impressions that makes reader quest in the writer, the character sculpted of words. It’s an elegy on the fragile human desire to seek without really meaning to discover.

The format of the play: principal characters reading aloud their letters as if talking to each other, seeped into my pores because of performances that reflect freshness as well as the experience of fifteen years; not for once, did the performers look at each other.

Metamorphosis is depicted with precision. Letters that acquire the maturity and declining hairlines underline the vicissitudes of age.

The props too, are used sparingly. Boxes become tables, chairs, coffin, and finally a Cross.

Watching Love Letters is like having dark chocolate: beginning with sweetness and culminating in bitterness that will drenches your tongue, shadow all other tastes and embeds its addictive meaning into heart and soul.

The title sounded interesting, but one’s expectations of mushy romance were laid to rest in the first few minutes of the play. The protagonists, Andy and Melissa throw up no surprises as they age in the play. The play revolves around their hopes and disappointments and their relationships with their respective spouses and children. Brilliant performances by Rajat and Shernaz elevate the play into a masterpiece adding depth and meaning to every pause, gesture and expression. The subtle transportation from young to old is complemented by the even more subtle voice modulation. In all a superb play!

As I am from rural place from Maharashtra, I have seen plays only in Hindi and Marathi. This is the first time I watched an English play and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Performance wise Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel are outstanding which shows that emotions have far more importance than language. Sandeep Prakash Mukta,

“My father says I should write letters because it is a dying art,” says Andrew Ladd, the protagonist of Love Letters. In a world obsessed with cellphones, emails and hasty one-liner scraps, this play did prove a lot of points. The actors Rajit Kapoor and Shernaz Patel, did an amazing job, delivering witty dialogues, making the whole auditorium erupt into laughter, conveying the depth of their feelings. I was amazed by the perfect rhythm and timing in dialogue delivery, lighting and sound. I wonder if dialogue is the right term. Two people are present on the stage, yes, but never once do they directly talk to each other. The separate lives that they lead, the people in their lives, all unravel before us in the form of letters. For audience like me, the Love Letters were a breath of fresh air, a relief from the numbing artificiality of masala cinema.

Pooja Sagar

Under masterful direction, the actors brought out the essence of written communication and how ‘a person presents himself the way he wants to be seen, in a letter’. Their experience and skill in the theatre was brought out by the fact that within the space of a single play both actors managed to age a lifetime; which was indeed gracefully done. The simple props used were done so with multiplicity of purpose, achieving an astounding effect. A combination of organisation, coordination, skill and sheer genius made the play extremely enjoyable.

Effective translation of fiction to visual form is a feat. Madras Theatres does a commendable job with Five Point Someone through effective storytelling.

Lights were used efficiently to bring various points of view to the fore. The narrator walks amidst characters eating roti from their plate, yet, not obstructing the rhythm. And after a heap of light moments, stark revelations arise, silencing the audience with their magnitude.

Social inequalities amidst friends simmer to the surface occasionally. Bittersweet equations with professors and amongst the friends – a blunderbuss, rebel, confused kitten - make for engrossing viewing.

Bawdy humour, risqué statements, intimacy and expletives are thrown in, shocking my sensibilities and at the same time, adding a touch of authenticity to the lives and times of the principle players.

As the curtains were being drawn, I caught a glimpse of the cast and crew exchanging hugs and pats on the back.

The last thing I saw before they were cut off from my vision was a glint in the eye of Ryan. Perhaps they too realise that Five Point Someone, a sweeping statement on the underplayers of the Indian education system, is more than worthy of five star GPA.

“The standard of this institute is going down. What are you, Commerce students?” The uproar by the audience as they clapped and hooted captured the mood of the evening as Madras Players’ adaptation of Five Point Someone successfully delivered the story of ‘What not to do at IIT!’ Smart, quirky and funny, director Nikhila Kesavan steered the roller coaster ride of three ‘five-pointer’ friends Hari, Alok and Ryan as they blunder, fall and drink their way through four years at the most prestigious institute in the country. Along the way they learn lessons on love, friendship, loyalty and of course some Quantum Mechanics! Adapted for stage from Chetan Bagat’s bestseller with the same title, the play remained loyal to the original brought to life by a young and energetic set of lead actors. Pink Floyd, dhaba food and some great staging and lighting forced the packed house to fondly reminisce good old days of college life. The only let down being its elongated run time of 120 minutes. Vidya Balakrishnan,

“It was amazing.” This was the phrase that was heard once during the play and echoed all over the auditorium once it got over. The play lived up to all the hype and expectations. The set, which took many avatars on stage, including that of a hostel room, IIT classroom and the much-loved ‘insti roof’ was simple yet effective and was backed by great lighting and sound effects. The characters Hari,Alok and Ryan were portrayed with much passion and charisma. There were many IITians in the cast and their natural acting and college antics took many of us down memory lane and reminded us of the crazy things we used to do in college. As we finally left the auditorium, our hearts were radiant with the priceless values of love and friendship.

The curtain rose with Pink Floyd’s We don’t need no education playing in the backdrop. Nikhila Kesavan has splendidly brought out the story written by Chetan Bhagat in just 120 minutes. It is no mean task and the play was enthralling. The dialogues were delivered well and with emotions, followed by loud clapping from the audience. The idea of having the narrator coming on stage was not only clever but also made the audience feel close to the narrator.

Alex M. Thomas

“Whatever it is, we will remain friends and in touch with each other.” The words encompass feelings of friendship, life and love. Five Point Someone, very well directed by Nikhila Kesavan ,took all the IITians and non-IITians back to their college life. The play revolves around three main characters - Hari, Alok and Ryan - who meet in this prestigious institution and shows how they get into trouble and get categorised as underperformers. The play has not only focused on the dos and don’ts at IIT but conveys the story of every urban Indian student – the hurdles they have to face, the good and bad times they go through etc. The actors made the play come alive. The play took every viewer, irrespective of whether he/she is from the corporate sector or not, back to the days of hard work which ultimately made them reach their destinations.

While waiting in the queue to get into the auditorium, I doubted whether the play would match up to the book, which must have been written over a period of time. Once the play started, my assumptions were proved wrong. The environment was so real and the cast so natural that they mingle you with all the happenings. The cast is a perfect fit to the characters of the book. The play is a journey with the lives of ‘underachievers’ at IIT. When the audience gave the cast a standing ovation, I was the only one seated. Nostalgia can be such a tricky feeling.

On a surface level, the play talks about the lives of three underperformers at IIT. However, at a deeper level, the play concerns with confrontations with the self. Each character is on a quest to find his true identity and this has been well brought out on stage. The trio - Hari Kumar, Alok Gupta and Ryan Oberoi - stole the show. The stage space was well utilised and the remarkable use of minimal props should be appreciated. Compressing the 270-page book into a two hour long play is a mammoth effort but the script could have been tightened, especially towards the end. The fact that the script made no demands on audience who have not read the book is something that has to be applauded.

It can never be easy to adapt a book like Five Point Someone to stage, and I was pleasantly surprised. Watching the play created emotions similar to that of watching a Harry Potter movie. No, it isn’t about magic, but when you see the audience thoroughly enjoying themselves, it feels great that a book managed to create so much interest in the electronic era. With no lavish sets and extravagant costumes, the strength of the play lay in performance and a strong script. Among the cast, it looked like Alok had jumped right out of the book! I am sure everybody who saw the play loved it and went back feeling much lighter and happier.

For once, the act was better than or on par with the writing. The play raised quite a few eyebrows and hands came together in appreciation. The drama stood tall as a standalone unit. Good performances brightened the evening. The story was not short of messages. The incident where Neha’s brother gives up his life when he couldn’t make it into the best engineering colleges of India is one of the many reality bites the audience get in the course of the drama. The format and the ingenious dramatic techniques adapted, bring the long-lost glory of theatre in Hyderabad.

To think this has happened in the heart of a metropolitan is a thumping sign of an art in the revival, a.k.a renaissance of the Indian theatre. And it took just nine artistes and a young director to roll out two hours of wit, laughter and conspiracy theories. Only that, it was not a film but a book that rolled out into a play.

For someone like me who read the book and doesn’t watch many movies, the play was refreshing. Majority of the play was enacted by a very young cast and flawlessly directed by Nikhila Kesavan. Right from the first scene to the last, the director ensured one guffaw per scene. Even poignant moments were treated lightly, which left me smiling and feeling sad at the same time.

This is the story of three friends at IIT who are quite simply, unable to cope. They learn what NOT to do --- the hard way. Hilarious punch lines, well-suited cast and smooth continuity despite the constant play of light and dark, resulted in an entertaining theatre experience. The dark sometimes stayed a wee bit too long, but the stage transformed into an IIT classroom, a hostel room, the ‘insti roof’, a prof’s house. It was refreshing, for a change, to see something of contemporary relevance to modern India.

What I expected was melodrama and some serious liberties taken with the original. And what I got was a fresh-and-wholesome-as-newly-baked-bread performance and actors breathed life into the characters. A cheerful play which also had its black moments - and the best part was that it does not mock or imitate anyone or anything like some stand-up comedians who believe that’s the only way to make an audience laugh.

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