When eight theatre groups took to the stage on the evening of the final round of ‘S.K.IT.S, each of them proved that 12 minutes can be sufficient to make one laugh, cheer or shed a tear.
The final round of S.K.IT.S (So Keep It Short), a short play competition presented by Dramanon at the Indira Priyadarshini auditorium, Public Gardens recently, saw each play brimming with an energy that one would normally expect in an hour long play. Apart from a few instances of stereotypical and melodramatic exaggerations, some of the groups managed to seamlessly weave witty or local humour and social themes into their stories.
The contest for the Best Play award was quite clearly between three acts: ‘ Ammi Bane Mother in Law ’ by Kaalpanik, ‘ Mudra’ by Sequel, and ‘ Praja Nahi, Naagrik Hai Hum ’ by Koshish Theatre. While the audience awarded Koshish the best play award, judges Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel, both veteran film and theatre actors, gave the title to Kaalpanik. Ganesh Nallari of Sequel won the Best Director award.
Sana Mirza's convincing performance in the hilarious role of Ammi Jaan in Ammi Bane Mother in Law won her the Best Actor award in the female category. Mohammed Abdul Razzaq's comical portrayal of a lazy and greedy corporator ensured his berth in the male category for the same award. The Koshish theatre group churned out quite a wonderful effort. The promo video they aired as they set the stage up was honest, presenting a realistic picture of practice sessions, involving petty arguments and random distractions. The judges created a new Best Ensemble award, which they awarded to Koshish.
The eight final plays managed to carry the audience through varied genres ranging from suspense, comedy, drama and even melodrama to dark humour, social theatre and slapstick.
