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All about money
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Man, his spirit and a family’s obsession with money
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Photo: Nagara Gopal
On stage A scene from the play
A brief note stated the play Mad About Money was a comedy with a spirit. And it didn’t disappoint. The business tycoon father Hasmukhbhai Mehta (Amar Talwar) was on stage, first in person and then as his spirit. A stereotyped
father, he finds his son Ajit incompetent and the sole reason for his inevitable bankruptcy. Having built his business empire almost single-handedly, his only concern is to see his establishment and wealth in safe hands. His trust for his son and the shrewd daughter-in-law is out of question; it’s the same story for his wife Sonal (Jayati Bhatia) as well.
When Hasmukhbhai breathes his last, he leaves behind a will that changes things forever. He finds in his mistress Kiran (Suchitra Pillai) the ability to lead the empire and entrusts her with the responsibility of holding things together. Hasmukhbhai, now as a spirit, gleefully watches his family cope with the new entrant to the household, Kiran. His will puts down a few terse and a few outright silly (barring his son from using a cell phone for instance) conditions, complying with which his son can claim the property at the age of 50, failing which the assets would go to a charitable trust.
Playwright Mahesh Dattani penned Mad About Money quite early in his career. This comedy continues to be a favourite, having toured many cities in India and around the world. The play has been updated time and again to keep pace with the times (for instance, the episode between the father and son on the use and misuse of cell phones), yet, there’s a feeling of déjÀ vu with some of the gags.
The first act moves at a slower pace taking its time to build each character. As the story unfolds, the play has you hooked. Television actors Amar Talwar, Jayati Bhatia and Suchitra Pillai came up with commendable performances. Watch Jayati Bhatia convincingly say, “We are just middle class people, but with a lot of money.” She fits the role of a housewife obsessed with over-feeding her family.
If most events nowadays try to thumb down the ‘Hyderabad standard time’ and commence on time, this one was an exception. Citing traffic snarls, the play commenced after a delay of 45 minutes, only to pause for another 10 times after a portion of the stage décor gave way. What was otherwise an enjoyable theatre presentation could have done without the faux pas.
SANGEETHA DEVI DUNDOO
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