RAD TIMES REVIEW: English long-act play, Phoenix shows mettle in Pune’s thriving theatre culture!

PHOENIX

Maharashtra has a long tradition of theatre expressed in many languages, such as Marathi, English, Hindi, and Urdu. The beauty lies in each language growing through theatre.

The long-act play Phoenix is made entirely in English, where it retained its rich local culture. The play scores in the subtlety towards women's empowerment through the vision of Mohan Madgulkar, who also plays Ashok, a patriarchal character.

The portrayal of Madgulkar may come out loud to some viewers, yet the layers brought to the fore in Phoenix depict a marriage crumbling, which was needed for the portrayal of Ashok.

Radhika Madgulkar plays Nilima, who is shamed by Ashok. She is called a bad mother and is blamed for every small thing in the household by her husband. He tries to control her. Both actors shine in the depiction of conflict. On one hand, Mohan Madgulkar as Ashok and on the other Radhika Madgulkar as Nilima bring the element of authority together with helplessness, striking the right emotional chord. The audience is kept glued to their seats, following the actors’ movement and rhythm.

Meet the second couple, Rajalakshmi, enacted by Laxmi Birajdar and Ganesan, played by Angad Patwardhan, which is a reversal from Ashok and Nilima. In this scenario, Laxmi expresses her frustration with her husband while asserting her individuality and a sense of being misunderstood.

What works in ‘Phoenix is the friendship between Rajalakshmi and Nilima, belonging to two diametrically opposite extremes. It makes the perfect analogy for both women in relation to their spouses.

It's no mean task donning the director’s hat and playing a ‘mean’ lead character in this long-act play for Mohan Madgulkar. He comes off as making Ashok a strong character who impacts the audience in a big way. That’s where he succeeds. He’s terrific on stage.

However, it is Radhika Madgulkar as Nilima who takes the pie as the submissive wife, running from pillar to post to make everyone happy. Her body language, gait, angst and pain, glycerine-free tears on stage, enthral the audience. An absolutely riveting performance playing Neelima.

Laxmi Birajdar simply holds her forte as an actor in the face of so many actors coming together in what could be termed as author-backed roles. She is impressive in her portrayal of Rajalakshmi countering Ashok and, at the same time, lending support to Nilima, countering Ashok, playing the dominating husband.

As a performer, Angad Patwardhan as Ganesan is effective in a small role, so is Pramiti Narke as Philomina, who delivers her lines in an effective manner, breathing life into the character, at times talkative, which demarcates her in this raw act. Harshwardhan Shrotri does a fine job as Nilima’s brother, through his gaze and steps. A very restrained performance. He slips into the character effortlessly, showcasing worry while provoking laughter among the audience.

There are many effective layers to the play, right from the mention of ‘divorce’ by Ashok, with the background music lending a certain depth to the scene. While the sibling bonding conveys its own complexity and contradiction as the scenes unfold.  

A repeated analogy, first of Ashok calling his wife, a frozen lamb of meat, that she in turns repeats to Rajalakshmi, is gut-wrenching on account of its effective portrayal by Radhika Madgulkar. She lends shade to the character of Nilima, the helpless wife, showcasing the emotional frailties in what a woman goes through, or the divorce party new concept-where Ashok celebrates with a drink to cheer himself.

It breeds space for conversations on the dichotomy of the scene, should we laugh at his idiosyncrasy, or irony died a sudden death?

The play written by Aruna Thosar-Dixit and produced by Pradeep Dixit Communications is a long-act play of 1 hour and 20 minutes ending on a high note, where Nilima’s portrayal is lent credence by Radhika Madgulkar. She shows the embers within, in what one would call a ‘reverse angle’, in doing something totally unexpected in the end.

The production value is top-notch right from the set in the hall, table, sofa set and imported alcohol tray, spaced from each other, hinting that Ashok drinks as a symbol of playing an affluent character. The lightning is synchronised with the mood, from the stage going dark to dimly lit, conveying soberness. It aligns with the play’s theme of the underlying conflict between the characters.

I would have loved to see the famous ‘Kavita Malik’, Ashok’s love interest and a mention of her as a glamorous woman, he’s infatuated with. The audience can only speculate who Kavita is: a strong woman or just arm candy, which somehow dilutes the impact.

A powerful long-act play, Phoenix is about celebrating women, her identity as a person and vulnerabilities, executed deftly by the director and actors with the ambitious dialogues, perhaps not a first yet a stroke play!

The project is a crowd-funded theatre production.

Credits

Script: Aruna Thosar Dixit

Direction: by Mohan Madgulkar

Cast: Radhika Madgulkar, Mohan Madgulkar, Laxmi Birajdar, Harshwardhan Shrotri, Angad Patwardhan, Pramitee Narke

Produced by: Pradeep Dixit's Communication and Individual Social Responsibility

Lights: Team Box

Sound: Team Box

Some of the characters are being played by different actors for different shows.

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