‘Pachch Footcha Bachchan’ to be staged on March 5
In a unique presentation, Shruti Madhudeep is set to enact a play titled Pach Footcha Bachchan, which means ‘Five Foot Bachchan’, at Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha, Kothrud.
What makes the play unique is that it will be a solo performance by the 25-year-old actor who is also the director of the play. The city can watch the play presented by Rome Rome Theater and Orpheus Studio on March 5 at 1 pm.
The plot of the play revolves around a young woman from a small town who has made it big as a famous ‘Kirtankar’ or one who sings/sings spiritual songs.
Popularly known as ‘Pach Fatacha Bachchan’, Nayak gives a twist to Marathi kirtan by telling spiritual stories in an entertaining manner. She soon realizes that the character she is playing is actually the opposite of what she believes. Shruti says that despite entertaining the audience in Bollywood style, the kirtankar feels suffocated.
“Kirtankar has to face professional backlash. After that, an existential crisis eventually helps him find his true self,” says Kaustubh Deshpande, a Kolhapur-based Marathi playwright. Deshpande, who had already made three short films, was inspired to write the screenplay. “The subject is contemporary and will influence the audience to introspect,” he added.
The solo performance is directed by Shruti in such a way that one can identify with many of the characters, and includes a medley of abhangas (devotional poems). Shruti, who worked in the famous (late) filmmaker Sumitra Bhave’s Sakherepaksha God (Cheeni Se Meetha), is also the author of the Marathi novel Log Out, besides directing short films. He also wrote, directed and starred in ‘Aye Mere Hero’ and received the award for best performance at the 2021 Mighty Short Film Festival.
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