Hasnain Shaikh’s Between Bestsellers will be staged this weekend. This is Hasnain’s third play after Perspectives and Cardamom . The play is presented by Natak Nation, a wing of the Bangalore School of Speech and Drama dedicated to theatre for adults with Hasnain as the artistic director and founder.
Describing Between Bestsellers “as an extraordinary story with hilarious, and sometimes heart-breaking, twists and turns,” the 23-year-old writer-director says, “When brothers Ashish and Rohan find themselves staring at the cursor on their screens, they are haunted by their editor, deadlines, and the pressures of success.
Dealing with thugs, thieves, corruption, angry girlfriends, and successful colleagues, makes it awfully difficult to get off the writer’s block. The play explores the dynamic between the two brothers, as well as with the people closest to them, as the pressures of writing and success become an overwhelming constant in their lives.”
Hasnain says he had wanted “to write about the process of writing for a long time, about how distressing it can be. Keeping with the adage of writing what you know, I realized that what I know most about, and what I’m most passionate about is writing. The story has evolved through multiple drafts, which led me to the script I have today.”
Underlining the importance of family, Hasnain says it is a key theme in all his plays. “I think that is what a lot of people relate to, even those who are not writers. Underneath all the glamour and character drama, this play is immensely personal. While the brothers are fighting a battle on many fronts, at its core the play is a story about insecurity, self-doubt and success.”
Talking about casting Hasnain says, “It is always challenging. You are trying to find actors who look and sound the part. There is a process of evolution, as the actors find their footing. Our cast is made up of some veteran actors, as well as a few who are just now dipping their toes in the water. We went through extensive auditions and I believe we’ve put together a wonderful and talented cast.”
The play is in English and Hindi. “The majority is in English, but there are some characters that need to speak in Hindi for authenticity. My plays tend to walk this line because I write specifically for Indian audiences. I want the play to reflect their reality. The majority of Indians are bilingual, and frequently switch between languages.”
Insisting that audiences “can look forward to an hour and a half of entertainment,” Hasnain says, “The play can be classified as a comedy/drama. The benefit of using writing as a premise is that a writer’s life tends to be filled with diversity. Inspiration comes from everywhere, so that allows us to have characters from all types of backgrounds, in order to make the play authentic. It is fast paced, funny, and full of a lot of suspense.”
Between Bestsellers will be staged at Jagriti Theatre on May 19 and 20 at 8 pm and on May 21 at 3 pm and 6.30 pm.
