Image credits and copyrights: www.cineplay.com
Venue: Delhi Gymkhana Club
Date: 22 August 2015
We have reviewed Cineplays before (“Hasmukh Saab ki Waseehat”). It’s an interesting medium where theatre reaches audience all over the world without the actors actually travelling.
The CinePlay Association recently screened the cinematic version of Mahesh Dattani’s play “Dance Like a Man”. This play in English was directed by Lillette Dubey and had her in the cast along with Suchitra Pillai, Joy Sengupta et al. The production started on a slow note and did not pick up in the almost two hours duration.
The acting was mediocre and was full of clichés. We could not understand why Joy Sengupta, in his dancer avatar, was suddenly displaying feminine mannerisms, whereas during the rest of the play, he showed no such trait. We suspect that this emanates from the hackneyed thought – men who take up dance are girlish. For one, it is insulting dancers irrespective of their gender. Moreover, it is offensive to people who actually have mannerisms. Also, there was hardly any dance. Not surprising that the audience started dwindling after a while.
The only saving grace was the venue, Delhi Gymkhana Club. The ballroom where the screening was held, with its impressive Gothic pillars and high domes reminded us of a bygone era. There was no frisking, security checks, identity cards etc. for non members. The simplicity in approach added to the charm of the venue.
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