What Is To Be Done With Sathe? explores identity, marriage and career

The English adaptation of the Marathi plays comes to stage inthe city 
What Is To  Be Done With Sathe?
What Is To Be Done With Sathe?

Marathi playwright Rajeev Naik wrote Sathecha Kay Karaycha? in 1998, but the play hasn’t lost its contemporary edge even now almost two decades later. Following the story of Abhay, an ad film maker and his wife Salma, an English lecturer, the play questions the constant conflict between recognition and contentment. Bringing its English translation, What Is To Be Done With Sathe?, to stage is Chennai-based theatre group Narjaya.  


“I came across the play last year and it really resonated with me in terms of the themes. I had previously worked on more Western productions such as an anthology of Alex Broun plays, but working with a modern Indian play felt closer to home,” says Karthik Anantha-raman, the director and actor. The script was translated to English by Shanta Gokhale, a Mumbai-based theatre historian and translator. The play deals with existential crises between career and personal satisfaction and the bigger issue of identity, The titular Sathe, who does not actually appear in the play, is a documentary filmmaker and is Abhay’s nemesis. Abhay aspires to be like Sathe and do what he is doing. The plot follows Abhay and Salma discussing these problems. 

“Salma plays the role of a submissive wife, in that she always listens to Abhay, even though she has her own problems at work. But there is definitely a feminist streak to her character as well, because of what she does in the end”, Karthik explains. Salma is played by Kamatchi K.

Making a start Karthik, who grew up in Delhi and studied theatre there, is now based out of Chennai. The group, Narjaya, which means man’s victory over himself, was founded late last year and What Is To Be Done With Sathe? was one of their first productions. After the show in Chennai, they approached Ranga Shankara and Karthik says they were very honoured to be accepted by such an institution, even though they are a relatively new troupe.


“We took permission from Rajeev Naik to stage the production and he was very keen to come and see our staging in Chennai earlier this year,” he tells us. Although it was not possible for him to come down because of his age, he is planning to travel to Bengaluru for the show. Next, Narjaya wants to take the production to Pune, where the author Rajeev Naik is from, and other cities. 

September 24, 3.20 pm and 7.30 pm. At Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar. Tickets (`200) on bookmyshow.com


 anagha@newindianexpress.com
 @anaghzzz

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com