‘Mumbai has room for 15 more Prithvis’

As Kunal and Zahan Kapoor welcome another edition of Prithvi Theatre festival, the larger picture is on their mind—they must play a part in a city lacking in genuine performing arts spaces, and face the challenges of keeping the family legacy alive

This evening, when the audience watches icons, Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah showcase their genius in Russian playwright Alexei Arbuzov’s Old World, the marquee production at this year’s Prithvi Festival, few will be aware of a link between November 5, Shah and the venue. 

“Old World is an interesting production. I’ve been after Naseer [to take it up] ever since he did Dear Liar. He says this openly and frequently—that he worships my maternal grandfather Geoffrey Kendall’s influence on him to become an actor. Old World was the last play that my grandparents did together in 1984-85. He and Ratna gave it a thought before the pandemic; and the discussion resurfaced in early 2023, when they came on board. On November 5, 1978, Udhwastha Dharmashala that was staged by Om Puri’s Majma group and featured Naseeruddin Shah and Puri, was the first performance Prithvi ever hosted. Naseer was keen to be part of this edition, and I suggested that we stage Old World on that same date,” reveals Kunal Kapoor. 

Forty-five years and 38 editions later, an inspirational Shah continues to perform on the same stage, mirroring the resilience and dedication of the Kapoors, and their small band of loyal staff and volunteers, to keep arguably India’s most authentic performing arts festival in good health. “The big difference is that the solid support we previously received from sponsors has vanished. With the odd exceptions, we’ve been entirely self-sufficient for close to 15 years,” reveals Kunal, when we meet him and actor son Zahan at Janki Kutir. 

Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah rehearse for Old World

Despite budget constraints, the festival continues to create excitement. He refutes the claim that the “same old plays” are staged with: We have first-time directors, new and younger theatre groups in the main selection; there are young musicians in a segment fronted by Furtados’ [music store] while the Fringe section has new work.” 

How does the audience return, year after year? “We call it the Prithvi experience. It’s the venue, its design, as well as the audience. The intimacy and connection haven’t been replicated elsewhere. Some years ago, we had staged productions at the Royal Opera House; There is  a certain sentiment attached to it. My paternal grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor performed there, and had an office on the premises. Still, it felt different,” Kunal thinks.

Zahan jumps in to elaborate on this “maahoul”, where the audience arrives before time, queues up dutifully to enter the first-come-first-served venue, and zones in to the show without distractions. “There is a sincerity and respect about the place.” 

And yet, they agree, this is not enough. “Mumbai can accommodate another 15 Prithvis. We don’t need 800-2,000-seaters; just intimate, 200-350-seater venues. There is demand. Except for the three weeks prior to the festival when we are shut for maintenance, one stage is booked for close to 300 days. That’s 640 shows.” Prithvi doesn’t double-book. If a group has got the space for the evening on a said date, they have it for the whole day. Most groups are surprised that this is even possible,” he shares. Zahan suggests what’s been on our wish list for ages, “Every BMC ward should have a theatre venue!”
 
The performance venues that exist need to be in touch with the needs of the art form, the pair feels. “Often, the architects [commissioned to build the theatres] get carried away; they showcase their architectural style, sometimes with no connection to the arts. Is that design for self-promotion or for theatre?” Kunal asks, pointing out how some venues lack make-up rooms, a backstage area and wings.

And those that do, don’t always get the curation right. Kunal doesn’t mince his words when offering an opinion on the city’s grandest performance venue, NMACC in BKC, which he visited recently for a film festival opening. “It’s a space designed for live performances only. I saw Feroz’s [Abbas Khan] splendid show, The Great Indian Musical: Civilisation To Nation, there with a live orchestra, dancers… the works. And now you are using it to screen a film! The sound was distorted. The venue is not meant for cinema. We have to be honest about design. If I put Swarovski diamonds on an aeroplane, would it fly better?” 

The irony of one family backing a venue that corporate India won’t is not lost on Zahan. “It’s almost embarrassing,” he shrugs.

They proudly call it an “efficient mom-and-pop shop” that has managed to gain national recognition. “We have the experience and knowledge in running a theatre in the family. People may say, it’s nepotism or whatever, but may be that’s the only way to keep a place like Prithvi alive.” 

Prithvi’s design and intimate theatre experience, says the duo, was inspired by London’s National Theatre and South Bank. Kunal was a student there and was assigned the task of escorting architect Ved Segan to the theatres for a recce. “It was part of his research. My father [Shashi Kapoor] didn’t want it to be a space where people arrived 15 minutes before the show and ran out after. In London, during the film festival season, the buzz is tremendous; after a show, the actors and directors mingle with the audience. It is important to set the economics right for the performing group, and so a bookstore, art gallery and a café were housed inside Prithvi. It’s important that the space is alive even when the stage lights are off.” 

Kunal’s phone begins to ring, indicating that our time is up. We pose a parting question to father and son: What lessons are you carrying as another fest edition begins? “Nobody else is going to do it, so we might as well,” Zahan says, to which Kunal adds, “He is being polite… I am going to say it. F#*k it, just do it. Where is the money going to come from? Aa jayega!”

Prithvi in Dubai

The festival did well during a Dubai leg in 2015-16. It featured their heavy hitters because they were exploring new ground. “What amazed me was the number of people who came up to me to say that they had courted at Prithvi. They were young expats and NRIs with corporate jobs; they recalled hanging out here in their college days. We recreated the entire experience including items from the café menu like bun maska, Irish coffee, samosas and chai. They loved it! We had plans to revive the idea but it fell through because it’s expensive to do this without sponsors,” recalls Kunal.

Kunal-Zahan’s fav Prithvi moments

→ For Udayswar, a patron from Hyderabad boarded a red eye flight to attend the 7.30 am show on Sunday morning. He returned home the same day. It gives us immense pride to see it house full. And then we have two fans who attend every single play at Prithvi.

→ Veenapani Chawla worked as Jennifer Kendall’s assistant and later, as manager at Prithvi. She directed her first play Oedipus with Kunal [the only play he has acted in] and Naseeruddin Shah. She created her own theatre and complex, Adishakti in Pondicherry. We have a connection. When the group comes down, it feels 
like a reunion.

→ My mother [Jennifer Kendall] learnt to speak Hindi; she acted in Prithviraj Kapoor’s plays and even learnt the basics of bharatnatyam and kathak. The same was with my father who joined Shakespearana, learnt how to speak Shakespearean English and joined the Shakespeare theatre company. While on holiday in England, Karan [brother] and I would be dumped at my cousins’ home in the countryside, while my parents headed into London to watch two films and one play every single day. They did this for 10 days straight.

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