Mumbai, March 2 (IANS) Veteran actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar is all set to be seen in the play titled “Animal”, which he says comes from what he has witnessed first-hand in the film industry.
Animal examines the slow, often invisible erosion of the human spirit in the pursuit of ambition. At its centre is Dattu played by Mahesh, a young man from a small town near Pandharpur, Maharashtra, who arrives in Mumbai chasing the promise of stardom.
What begins as faith in the city and belief in himself gradually turns into a fight for survival. Alone on stage, Dattu addresses the city, imagined audiences, and his own fractured conscience, as performance and confession merge into one.
“Dattu is not a hero,” Mahesh says.
“He is not even extraordinary. He is a young man from the soil who arrives in Mumbai carrying a suitcase full of dreams and a stomach full of hunger. I have seen thousands like him. Some become stars. Most become shadows.”
The actor-filmmaker added: “What drew me was his innocence and how slowly the city peels it away. Dattu does not turn into an animal overnight. It happens quietly. One compromise. One humiliation. One rejection at a time.”
Animal comes to the stage after nearly nine years of discussion and preparation. In the production, Mahesh takes on the dual role of director and performer – a choice that gives the play its urgency and vulnerability.
In Manjrekar’s words, “Dattu speaks to Mumbai like a lover. Mumbai answers like a judge.”
Elaborating on his approach, he added, “I did not want to show Marine Drive or skyline projections. I wanted the city to exist through sound, through pressure. Local train announcements. Audition rooms. The word ‘Next!’ said casually. Doors closing. On stage, we created emptiness. Because that is what the city often gives you – space, but no place.”
Mahesh and and veteran theatre producer Ashvin Gidwani come together for Animal, presented by AGP World.
Reflecting on the partnership with Manjrekar, Gidwani shares, “Mahesh Manjrekar is, quite simply, one of the finest creative minds in Indian theatre, a director, writer, and performer of rare calibre. His Marathi theatre discipline brings a rigour and authenticity that cannot be replicated.”
“And beyond the professional, there is our friendship that spans over two decades. The shared trust, the mutual respect, is perhaps the real secret sauce of our success each time.”
Animal will be showcased on March 7 at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
–IANS
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