Sasidhar | Blog

One of the things I did in Delhi, where I was on my vacation (apart from the Rishikesh white water rafting thing), was go watch this play caled Pulp Fiction.

This play was an adaptation of the 1994 movie by the Tarantino which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay that year (Forrest Gump took the Best movie, damn!)(It was nominated for 7 Oscars). Think of all the movies that could be adapted into plays, and Pulp fiction comes nowhere into the scene. The love of the movie and its appeal to our generation, I guess were what egged this play into a reality. Respect, for just trying to adapt the blockbuster into a play.

It’ll be fair to say, the 80 minute play had its own ups and downs. What the play had, was a well adapted screenplay, a very nice auditorium, a well behaved audience, a very well done stage, a bunch of amateur actors wanting to give their best (and most of them did), a honest attempt at expressing art and my babe Malvika doing costumes for the play. . What the play also had, was actors forgetting their lines, bad co-ordination of the lights and sound with the actors and scenes, too many blackouts and too many set changes, a restless audience (some of which took offense to the lanaguage used in the play) and a clear lack of rehearsals.

The film itself is quite crazy, and the play was made crazier by adding a dash of Indian flavour to the proceedings. Jules talking in Urdu mixed Hindi,and ‘The Wolf’ dressed in a lungi, did seem to get the attention of the audience. The crowd I must add, loved the Pizza guy them most (especially at the end of the scene in which he dies, but walks into the wings nevertheless before the lights go out)!

The play had three directors(Amba, Jayant and Udayan), each getting an act to direct (I’m guessing, could anyone confirm?).

The stage as I mentioned was something the audience went crazy about, as the curtains were raised. Plush red couches, a door painted bright RED, nice dark backdrop, and the best of all, a bright red car cut open from the top to give it a convertible look !! Very impressive I must say.

Nice line from the pamplet: ” Studio 42 aims at creating a platform that brings us togeter. It’s an experiement in the belief that art is for everyone. It’s also a motley crew of people who have nothing in common byt a passion for the process. ”

Just to sum it up, the actors had a good time, the audience had a fun time and Studio 42 (thats what the group calls themselves) put together a play they won’t forget for a long time to come. In the end, what matters is a sense of acheivement in whatever one does, and do get that, one has to give his/hers best. Looking at the enthusiasm of everyone involved in the play, I can say that this is just the begining of something big. I can wait

Official review here: Pulp Fiction goes on stage

P.S. : Can someone send me a better scanned copy of the pamplet?
P.S. : Anyone likes the movie Four Rooms ?