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‘Theatre in the city has become very competitive’
Catch the play, Salaam Noni Appa starring Lilete Dubey, which will be staged tomorrow
An artiste par excellence, Lillete Dubey has created her own niche in the theatre industry. Apart from movies like Zubeidaa (2001), Monsoon Wedding (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho(2003), she is known for her distinctive roles on stage with plays like Dance Like A Man, Adhe Adhure and Gauhar. Her on stage directorial, Salaam Noni Appa, an adaptation of Twinkle Khanna’s short story of the same name from the bestseller, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, is a story of a widowed woman in her 70s. Produced by Primetime Theatre Company, the play also stars Jayati Bhatia, Yateen Karyekar, Gillian Pinto and Rishi Khurana.
Salaam Noni Appa has been a hit among the audience and has shows in almost every six months. Dubey says that the story breaks all the preconceived notions about older women in a society. She says, “The story deals with a unique theme that after a certain age, how do you deal with life. What do we have to look forward to? For me, Noni Appa is about never thinking that life is over or that the time has passes to do certain things. Anything and everything is possible because life is unpredictable. The relationship is lovely between the two sisters and it is very unusual to see such a camaraderie between two elderly women. And the next best part about the play is that it is breaking all the stereotypes. It deals with the second marriage of a woman in her 70s with a younger man. That is what worked for the play.”
Live theatre excites her even today, says Dubey. “My favourite part about being on stage is the excitement of knowing that you are vulnerable and still putting yourself out there to be judged because it is such an immediate and a shared experience. The power to make the audience laugh, is an amazing feeling. I get a personal high on stage that cannot be matched with any other feeling,” she says.
Talking about the theatre scene in Mumbai, the actor says that it’s very vibrant. “It has never been this vibrant like it is now. It has also become very competitive in a healthy way. There were very few theatres which had big stars performing. But nowadays, there are smaller venues, which gives a platform and exposure to the young artistes. We have plays in many languages in Mumbai. There are also many big productions that have come in and provide exciting content. And I am sure that in time, it will grow from strength to strength .”
More Info about the play
What: Salaam Noni Appa
Where: Royal Opera House, Girgaum
When: On August 18, at 7.30pm.
