It’s a trip down memory lane: Virajas Kulkarni

Writer-director Virajas Kulkarni will be staging Mickey, a black comedy, in Pune this weekend

Writer-director Virajas Kulkarni is known in the theatre circuit for his out-of-the-box ideas and presentation of plays through his theatre group, Theatron Entertainment. The actor, who made his acting debut with Ajay Naik’s Hostel Days, is now ready with his first two-act play, Mickey.

Talking about the play, Virajas says that it revolves around Keshav, who runs a barbershop in Pune with his father, Sakharam and friend, Anthony, in 1984. When a fateful accident sticks them with a dead body, the three barbers form a twisted plan to use it to solve their financial woes. The modern Shakespearean tragedy that follows is a character study of what happens to the best of us when the pressure is high. Virajas says, “An old, ancestral barbershop that I frequented as a young kid suddenly closed down. That got me thinking that a ramshackle barbershop that had been in the family for generations seemed to be a good setting for a comedy.”

This is the first time the group has delved into black comedy. “Exploring themes like murder, death and desperation, and still making it a complete comedy was something that we were sure audiences would enjoy. This atmosphere coupled with some incredible plot twists is what makes this play unique,” adds Virajas.

Where:Lokashahir Annabhau Sathe Auditorium, Bibwewadi

When: October 13, 9.30pm