Theatre play review - My Wife's 8th Vachan - What makes it a must watch?

 

Theatre has always been an underdog when compared to the movies, especially now too with the influx of OTT platforms. As an audience for theatre plays, we always look for some brilliant acting performances, a strong message oriented script and some wholesome entertainment. 2023 has surely offered us an amazing play which has all of this and more!

Synopsis of the play - My Wife's 8th Vachan

India’s leading theatre group The Films and Theatre Society has come forth with their latest production, My Wife’s 8th Vachan. An eighty-five-minute comedy and family play inspired by marriages, the play is about a mystery called "marriage" that has deepened with each effort of solving it. This play, at most, is another ambitious (read failed) attempt in doing so.

Writing & Direction review:

As a writer, Atul Satya Kaushik has always meticulously guaranteed that all his plays have a strongly etched message orientation to the story-telling. The narration of this play effortlessly tackles the trending topic of ‘communication in today’s marriages and why the couple's compatibility fizzles out’. The character fleshing has elaborately focused on trending careers - stand-up comedians and an influencer.  Subtle mentions of the effect of social media on our lives are surely eye-openers. The dialogues are funny, some on current topics which makes the audience laugh their guts out. 

What we really liked was the character of ‘Daksh’ which is almost like an alter-reflection and mirror to our lives. The counselling of dwelling deep into our lives and communication (or lack of it) comes crystal clear through this character. While most audiences (yes, we do eavesdrop on what they say) were perturbed on the how’s, why’s and who is ‘Daksh’ did miss the hidden symbolism of the character curated by the writer.

To watch the video of the play, Click HERE

Having known Atul Satya Kaushik for quite some time now, we admire his body of work and visualize him to be changing (enhancing) the face-of-cinema with his existent ‘feel good story-telling, perfection of every scene without going overboard and not succumbing to commercial pressures’. A salute to you Atul Sir!!

Acting Review:

Actor Anup Sonii has finally got a role of a lifetime. For someone who has always portrayed restrained performance-oriented (be it on television, movies or theatre plays), his character adds that multidimensional trait of dabbling with comedy. Anup Sonii shines with brilliance throughout the play especially in his stand-up comedy act in the climax. 

For other play reviews, Click HERE

For a debutant, Monisha Singh Katial performs with absolute ease when pitted against seasoned actors. Her performance is pitch-perfect and the varied emotions are flawless. Great job and hope to see more of you!

A popular face on television, Vinay Jain ’s character is the driving force for this play. His thought-provoking statements open up a Pandora’s box and paves the way for the audience to start thinking. A true pleasure to watch Vinay underplay the character and yet emerge with accolades. 

Other aspects of the play:

A theatre play is not just about the script or the acting. It is the team which works in unison to flash out a feel-good aftermath for the audience. The production values are premium, the set design is immaculate. The background score, the lyrics and pulsating music (especially of the title song) the perfection pains taken to ensure that every minute detail is taken care of. 

My Wife's 8th Vachan is a play you would love watching again since it ushers and taps into your thinking box and starts a conversation. Go ahead and make sure you watch it once it’s back with their next season.