Produced and directed by: Mahabanoo Modi-Kotwal and Kaizaad Kotwaal
Cast: Mahabanoo Modi-Kotwal, Dolly Thakore, Jayati Bhatia, Avantika Akrekar and Sonali Sachdev
Rating: 6/5
The moment Mahabnoo Modi-Kotwal made all the men in the audience stand up and applauded them for being there instead of the IPL match at the Wankhede stadium, I knew I was going to love the next 70 minutes or so. She just had a way of saying things, even things as simple as "Please switch off your mobile phones", that you wanted to laugh with her if she laughed, cry with her if she cried and rage with her if she vented.
Actually, the evening had begun on a not-at-all promising note. Moon, two of my cousins and I went to the Comedy Store in High Street Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel here in Mumbai for the show. The Club was super expensive, had bad lounge lighting, loud horrible music and obviously bad management. We were waiting outside the club for about 30 minutes and then, inside the club for more than 30 minutes before the show began. So naturally, we were quite pissed off. (Incidently, if anyone wants to know my ratings for the club, it would be 2.5/5.)
But the show more than made up for it. It was a complete laugh riot, which had still maintained it's sensitivity. Exploring all the possible avenues of womanhood through the vagina, the show narrated so many individual stories and stories of half the population of the world - some heart-warming, some heart-rending, some touching, some empowering, some brutal, some pleasurable...the list goes on. The monologues explore sexual pleasure, orgasms, conditioning, repression, rape, child sexual abuse, periods, child-birth and even a Vagina workshop to teach women how to love and respect your vagina. These were the stories of a Parsi woman who had repressed herself for decades and decades, a Maharashtrian woman who "had had some experience. With men.", a Punjabi woman whose husband had a shaven pussy fetish, European women who were raped during the World Wars, making innocent victims of them, a girl from Louisiana who faced sexual abuse when she was 10, women who attended the Vagina workshop conducted by a woman, a woman who had a moan fetish and who had changed her preferences, of genital mutilation etc. Every single one of the Monologue was given such consideration and was delivered perfectly. The play has managed to capture the essence of what it feels like to be a woman, to have that anatomical place "talking about which is considered as bad manners today".
Jayati Bhatia, (extreme right) in her role of the woman with the moan fetish drew the maximum amount of applause. Even Avanti Akrekar (extreme left) with her ability to modulate voice according to operatic necessities and Sonali Sachdev (in the front) with her strong acting and accent modulation skills stole everyone's hearts.
All in all, it was awesomeosome!! I loved the play to bits and would definitely recommend anyone if they get a chance to watch it. :)
*Images courtesy Google Images.
Cast: Mahabanoo Modi-Kotwal, Dolly Thakore, Jayati Bhatia, Avantika Akrekar and Sonali Sachdev
Rating: 6/5
The moment Mahabnoo Modi-Kotwal made all the men in the audience stand up and applauded them for being there instead of the IPL match at the Wankhede stadium, I knew I was going to love the next 70 minutes or so. She just had a way of saying things, even things as simple as "Please switch off your mobile phones", that you wanted to laugh with her if she laughed, cry with her if she cried and rage with her if she vented.
Actually, the evening had begun on a not-at-all promising note. Moon, two of my cousins and I went to the Comedy Store in High Street Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel here in Mumbai for the show. The Club was super expensive, had bad lounge lighting, loud horrible music and obviously bad management. We were waiting outside the club for about 30 minutes and then, inside the club for more than 30 minutes before the show began. So naturally, we were quite pissed off. (Incidently, if anyone wants to know my ratings for the club, it would be 2.5/5.)
But the show more than made up for it. It was a complete laugh riot, which had still maintained it's sensitivity. Exploring all the possible avenues of womanhood through the vagina, the show narrated so many individual stories and stories of half the population of the world - some heart-warming, some heart-rending, some touching, some empowering, some brutal, some pleasurable...the list goes on. The monologues explore sexual pleasure, orgasms, conditioning, repression, rape, child sexual abuse, periods, child-birth and even a Vagina workshop to teach women how to love and respect your vagina. These were the stories of a Parsi woman who had repressed herself for decades and decades, a Maharashtrian woman who "had had some experience. With men.", a Punjabi woman whose husband had a shaven pussy fetish, European women who were raped during the World Wars, making innocent victims of them, a girl from Louisiana who faced sexual abuse when she was 10, women who attended the Vagina workshop conducted by a woman, a woman who had a moan fetish and who had changed her preferences, of genital mutilation etc. Every single one of the Monologue was given such consideration and was delivered perfectly. The play has managed to capture the essence of what it feels like to be a woman, to have that anatomical place "talking about which is considered as bad manners today".
Jayati Bhatia, (extreme right) in her role of the woman with the moan fetish drew the maximum amount of applause. Even Avanti Akrekar (extreme left) with her ability to modulate voice according to operatic necessities and Sonali Sachdev (in the front) with her strong acting and accent modulation skills stole everyone's hearts.
All in all, it was awesomeosome!! I loved the play to bits and would definitely recommend anyone if they get a chance to watch it. :)
*Images courtesy Google Images.
I was never interested in plays, but I guess I missed this one. Any idea as to where else they play?
ReplyDeleteLoved the poster.
[And yes, coming to the point, any idea as to the phone number of the girl on the left?] :D
As of now, they are playing mostly in Mumbai. But I'm sure if you'll google it, you'll know if they are planning a show in B'lore or somewhere anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the girl on the left is concerned, first just learn how to pronounce her name properly and then talk. :P
Not necessary.
ReplyDeleteThats why, they invented words like darling, honey, sugar, etc. :P
hii
ReplyDeleteyaa i have heard a lot abt this
AS: It's brilliant!! You MUST watch when you get a chance! :)
ReplyDelete