In 2014, acclaimed theatre director Saif Hyder Hasan unveiled his much-loved play, Ek Mulaqat, starring Shekhar Suman and Deepti Naval. It was based on the unrequited romance of noted lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and eminent writer-poet Amrita Pritam and attempted to depict a tête-à-tête that happens between the lovers one night. Nearly 11 years later, Saif Hyder Hasan has rebooted the play and its premiere took place on May 31 at Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra, Mumbai.
The story: On a cold winter night, Amrita Pritam (Geetika Tyagi) is sitting on the terrace of her house in Delhi when two strange things occur. She gets a sudden trunk call from Bombay, making her wonder who it can be, as she doesn’t know anyone out there except Sahir Ludhianvi (Shekhar Suman). Before she could answer, Sahir appears in front of her. The two then indulge in a witty play of words and poems-shayaris which brings to the fore their love for each other, the loneliness, the anger and a lot more.
Ek Mulaqat is just 70 minutes long and has no interval. This strategy works as it’s not a play that should have any hindrance. Moreover, there’s a difference from the 2014 version. As a result, those who have seen it will also enjoy the reboot. The earlier version consisted of songs like Abhi Na Jao Chodkar, Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein etc but with a change in tune. The experiment was a risky one but it worked. In the reboot, the makers have done away with this aspect. Still, the impact is there. The play also scores with the sharp dialogues, hilarious banter and of course, the performances. Be ready as the audience will be breaking into ‘waah waah’ every few minutes over the dialogues.
On the flipside, the play suffers as it is talk-heavy and moreover, the use of chaste Urdu and Punjabi can be difficult to comprehend in some places. Some external factors can also dent the impact. The venue had poor air conditioning and hence, the theatre management switched on the air coolers. These devices generated a sound that made it difficult for some of us to hear the dialogues. The issue was resolved when an irate patron took the initiative to switch off the cooler, noticeably improving the audibility and overall experience for everyone
Speaking of performances, Shekhar Suman delivers a powerful performance. The way he throws and modulates his voice is praiseworthy. Geetika Tyagi is very impressive and proves her worth as a fine performer yet again, after Yes Papa.
All in all, Ek Mulaqat’s reboot version leaves an impact thanks to the performances of Geetika Tyagi and Shekhar Suman, Saif Hyder Hasan’s execution and writing. The premiere show was sold out. Hence, make sure to book your tickets in advance for its next shows.
My rating – *** ½ out of 5!