Makrand Deshpande happens to be one of the most popular names and faces in the Mumbai theatre circuit. Stage play ‘Sir Sir Sarla’ is penned down and directed by Makrand Deshpande and is primarily a three-character play.
Story: Makrand Deshpande’s Sir Sir Sarla talks about love or rather confused form of love. It is about how two University students namely Phanidhar and Sarla have a deep sense of love and affection for their university professor, namely Professor Palekar (played Makrand). However, there’s a twist in the tale as while Sarla (Aahana Kumra) is head over heels in love with his professor in a romantic way and wishes to see a future with him, the relation between Phanidhar (Sanjay Dadhich)and the professor is rather a mixed form of admiration and detest. On one hand, there’s respect for the Professor because of his age and experience, on the other hand, there’s a sense of frustration and anger towards him for the reason that he feels, his professor is the reason why the lives of all the three is a mess. Phanidhar tries his best hand to win Sarla’s heart but Palekar’s antics to push away Sarla from himself to a 3rd person, Keshav (Sarla’s husband) is what infuriates the most. As the tale unfolds further, one would realize that even Sarla’s fortune sees no change as earlier if she was facing rejection and feeling dejected because of having moved away from her beloved Professor, now it’s no different with her husband Keshav who has little to absolutely no time for Sarla’s happiness and desires. Eventually because of the lives of all the three, Phanidhar, Sarla and Professor have been connected to each other for the longest time, one is open to draw his or her conclusion whether the Professor’s decision to push away Sarla from himself due to a wide age incongruity and also Phanidhar to her current husband Keshav was a wise one or not? The session of blame game and accusations make you contemplate on life further.
Pros: The very reason why anyone wishes to watch theatre today is because of the element of real ‘drama’ and spectacle involved within a set stage and time period. Sir Sir Sarla successfully manages to get that going in the right direction, thanks to Makrand Deshpande’s powerful voice-over to begin with. The lighting and the background score which changes from time to time is well-coordinated, be it an emotional scene or high-octane drama, the score adds more emotional value to the visuals. Not to forget, the performances from all the three actors, right on point.
Cons – The dialogues, although well-written and well-versed, sometimes flow in too quickly for the average viewer to understand and relate. Also for a simple story to register which is primarily about a complicated case of love and failure within a trio, more than two hours seemed far-stretched and the body language of the audience gave in the same vibe towards the second half. While the first-half starts on a high with engaging dialogues and right comic timings, the second-half fails to find the balance of sorrow, happiness, and romance and thereby lends a touch of mundanity.
Verdict: Overall, a very likable play and as a play lover, you can definitely go forward to enjoy two hours of love, romance, heartbreak and also comedy at the same time.
2.5 stars
