For actor Shilpa Shukla, who has been a part of such hit movies including Chak De! India and B.A. Pass, being a part of renowned playwright Mahesh Dattani's teleplay The Big Fat City, has been one of the highs of her acting career.
In this play, Shilpa plays one of the key characters, depicting the hollowness of urban lives. The play centres around our obsession with technology and wealth that has rendered life and relationships meaningless.
Dattani astutely showcases life in a metropolis where people are stuck in the endless cycle of dissatisfaction while grappling with their own realities. The latest from Zee Theatre's stable, this play will be on air throughout the week on Dish TV D2H Rangmanch Active.
"It was my first teleplay and I loved the whole journey. To work with Mahesh Dattani was a dream-come-true experience for me. His scripts are remarkable and so is his process and I just showed up for the rehearsals without even reading the play. It was a very fulfilling experience as there was always so much to learn and unlearn, so much to deconstruct before attempting to construct, so much to give and receive,” tells Shilpa.
About the teleplay format, she adds, “Theatre in its essence is very much a live medium. Words cannot describe the magic of “right here right now” that is collectively felt by the artistes and the audience. Having said that, I also feel that theatre is so rich in literature and emotions, that it must be adapted for a generation that is not aware of its magic. If they don’t come to the theatre, we can take it to them and hope that they do not let the art form disappear after having tasted its magic”.
Besides Shilpa, the play features Bhavna Pani, Mansi Multani, Nissar Khan, Sid Makkar, Anuj Guruwara and Deepal Doshi. The story begins when an apparently happily married couple, Niharika and Murli invite guests to their new apartment. Tension mounts as a surprise visitor arrives to stir things up with a fatal climax seeming imminent.
Mahesh Dattani's teleplay The Big Fat City starring Shukla, will be aired on Dish TV D2H Rangmanh Active throughout this week