Brilliance In Action

When it began, it seemed like any other day. The usual chores, the normal routine... As the evening approached, an excitement began to build up. I was scheduled to watch a play. Theatre is a performing art form I have always revered. For me, watching a play means becoming an invisible participant. Mentally I partake, I play a character and experience an adrenalin rush close to what the actors on stage must be experiencing. But today was going to be different. I was preparing to just allow the magic to unfold. Naseeruddin Shah and Rajit Kapur. 2 very formidable names. And the play, 'A Walk in The Woods'. How do they do it? How can someone create magic by mouthing words? No cuts! No re-takes! How do they 'become' the character? I wasn't watching Naseer or Rajit. I was watching Mr Ram and Mr Jamal exchanging some very poignant moments. Naseer and Rajit ceased existing for the duration of the play. Here, I wish to convey my compliments to Ratna Pathak Shah for her debut as a director. I often wonder what it takes for any artiste to attain such phenomenal levels of perfection. In spite of my close proximity to some legendary artistes and a keen study of their behavioural pattern, am still seeking answers. Am given glimpses but that still doesn't complete the picture for me. This is a quest I intend pursuing and believe, some day I shall find the elusive piece to complete the puzzle. Meanwhile, coming back to Jamal and Ram, or rather Naseer and Rajit, I was floored by their ability to get under the skin of their respective portrayals. The voice modulations, the body language and other intangible traits left me speechless. After the play, Parimal Aloke, a dear friend who works closely with Naseer, was kind enough to grant me a wish. My desire to meet the 2 people who had just displayed their brilliance was granted. My day would have been incomplete if I hadn't had the opportunity to thank them both for transporting me to another world. A world of perfection! Meeting both of them re-affirmed my faith in the belief that only super achievers are the most humble. Thank you Mr Shah. Thank you Mr Kapur. I had just witnessed 'brilliance in action'!