Ratna Pathak’s directorial debut, A Walk in the Woods, is about how two distinct individuals can shed disparities and strike an unlikely friendship. Hamari Jamatia reviews the play
One is an uptight Indian bureaucrat (Rajit Kapur) who believes, “every conversation should have a purpose.” The other is a flamboyant Pakistani diplomat (Naseeruddin Shah) who talks about birth control and Bollywood heroines. Despite initial differences, during their walks in the woods, the unlikely duo of Geneva develop an understanding that deepens into an unlikely friendship.
Ratna Pathak’s directorial debut, A Walk in the Woods, strikes at the heart of the two country’s relationship that remain strained, despite people from both nations finding varied means to keep the conversation flowing. Of course, there are hiccups at first. “What shall we talk aboutIJ” the only two characters keep asking in the first half hour.
Out on the quest to find a solution, essentially through conversations, when the two run out of words to say, the play transcends dialogue and becomes a commentary on lack of communication between two nations. In the course of the play, while the characters soon find common ground of interest, the countries remain unmoved.
The play has been adapted from the 1988 of the same name by American playwright lee Blessing.It was was based on a 1982 real life incident, from cold war history.
In India, Naseeruddin Shah’s Motley group has come up with its own adaptation by actors Faisal Rashid and Randeep Hooda. As the director, Ratna Pathak managed to extract fine performances from the actors. And when you have two of the country’s finest actors as the leads of your play, there is bound to be fine acting. Through a clever interchange of dialogues in the first half hour when the two characters meet, the audience is constantly kept in splits.
With the pair carrying the play on their shoulders, the stage has minimal props — trees, two stumps that function as seats and one wooden bench. A slope at the back of the stage, serves as a space for the two actors to walk on, while entering and exiting a scene.
The change of daytime and season is done through clever use of lighting, with the tones getting redder and dimmer during winter, when the characters converse in their heavy jackets. The play made its debut during Mumbai in 2012, where it met great critical success. For Delhi, where it was showcased this week at Kamani Auditorium, the big names were enough to ensure a packed audience. They were not disappointed.