Epic entertainment Growing up at St Joseph's Convent and later Loreto Convent, I was conversant with the Bible — the book of Job and the book of Psalms. What I missed was the joy of learning our own itihaas and epics, which I consider the greatest riches of this country: the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Bhagavad Gita. With that in mind, I broke my promise to have a relaxed, homey Sunday with zero stilettos, makeup, and social engagements.
Lilette Dubey's 'Jaya' was totally worth it. This epic Mahabharata, told as a musical fit for Broadway, was lyrical and nostalgic with an element of poignancy. I sat transfixed, taking in this full rendering of the Mahabharata incredibly encapsulated in the short span of the show, admirably edited to tell the tale in its entirety.
I had seen and greatly appreciated the earlier version from 25 years ago, mesmerised by Mahesh Mahboobani's dance. The present one demands some contemplation from the audience, with its greater philosophical stance, giving an edge to the presentation of the epic that has endured for millennia, yet is ever worth repeating. It needs to be brought to the awareness of present audiences that may not know the epic, but even for those who are familiar, that adds to its appeal.
The direction was excellent, the background score, sound effects, chiaroscuro lighting, the fog emissions and singing made it a memorable musical. The actors performed well. Sherrin Vergese as Krishna and Duryodhan stood out with the impact of the actors who portrayed them, and for the complexity of their roles.
I felt Arjuna and Draupadi could have been somewhat more fleshed out but the paucity of time justified the portrayals. Lillette is a seasoned theatre personality, and the experience was equal to expectation. Delectably delightful Yasmin Morani's terrace birthday tea attended by the ladies that lunch was a lovely English style tea party but with delectable English tea cuisine! The theme was breezy and fun.
Ever a talented hostess, warm and hospitable, she orchestrated the evening with flair. Delectable kebabs and little eats floated around until her dining table exulted in stuffed kulchas and channa-bhaturas worth second refills, sev-puri and pani-puri which had attorney Abha Singh, gynaecologist Rishma Pai, my rockstar mom Bluebelle, Dhanika Popley, Designer Amy Billimoria encircling the table, with three selective desserts doing the finale. It was a lively, buzzing evening, with husband Aly Morani lending a male presence to the predominantly ladies-gathering.
“She told me to say hello and then do my own thing,” he laughed! Mahjong connect I don't know whether it's because I am discovering the engrossing intricacies of ‘Mahjong’ or Mumbai has suddenly taken it on, but there seems to be a springing up of Mahjong addas. I am with a group that meets up, with a teacher called Jennie pronounced as ‘Genie’ — who promises to fulfil our wish to learn the game, because it is way beyond a simple game with simple rules! And I am so enjoying it that on my recent visit to Singapore, I bought a beautiful mahogany engraved set of the game. They are not easily available here.
My chauffeur in Singapore who is an avid lover of the game took me to the "China Town" quarter there and I picked up this set, a pricey but beautiful set in its engraved mahogany case — quite a display piece it is and I can’t wait to host game sessions!.
