BY STAFF REPORTER, Mississauga, ON:
Toronto will soon be host to a new theatrical experience. Award winning Hindi Play ‘Gardish Mein Taare’, all the way from Mumbai, will be staged at the Living Arts Centre on April 26, 2019 at 8:00pm in Hammerson Hall. Organized by ARRA Arts Inc., the featured play will present Sonali Kulkarni and Arif Zakaria, the two actors starring in the play, as well as the Director Saif Hyder Hasan.
Organizer and CEO of ARRA Arts, Anu Srivastava says there is a dearth of Hindi plays for Toronto audiences and the organization is keen to fill that niche.
“ARRA Arts has and will always be dedicated to bringing high-caliber South Asian arts, music, and culture to Canada; in such a multicultural country, we want to bridge these cultural links and celebrate the diversity of Canadians,” said Srivastava at a press conference held earlier this month.
GARDISH MEIN TAARE (English Translation: ‘Stars in the Sky’) directed by Hassan and performed in Hindi with English subtitles, is a somewhat musical play that explores the pain, pathos, magic and music inspired by the turbulent times and relationship shared by two mavericks – Guru Dutt and his wife Geeta Dutt that will be performed by the two actors Kulkarni and Zakaria. The era of the 50s and 60s is brought to audiences to reminisce about this poignant age of Hindi film.
The play subtly shines light on the turmoil and inner conflicts that a husband and wife go through in a marriage when careers and ambitions intrude on a relationship, incorporating fictional elements and real-life incidents in Guru Dutt’s life.
“This performance is not meant to be biographical; it is heavily inspired by the lives of husband and wife, Guru and Geeta Dutt, but the way we tell their story is very personal and relatable to any audience,” says Hasan who shed some light on the research that went into creating GARDISH MEIN TAARE.
Both actors, Kulkarni and Zakaria, who were skyped in for the press conference, spoke passionately about their role.
“It is almost as if the characters and ourselves have become one; it doesn’t seem like we are portraying other people anymore, we have gotten so closely linked to these characters,” said Kulkarni.
“Those who have a cultural link to India will definitely feel connected to the music, the history, and the nostalgia” said Zakaria commenting on the stage set, and the strong connections between the story and the fast-paced era of Indian cinema in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
“It is an absolute pleasure to be partnering with ARRA Arts for a second time after their resounding success bringing ‘Broken Images’ to the Living Arts Centre last year, starring the outstanding Shabana Azmi, and we know this performance will be no different,” said Natalie Lue, CEO of the Living Arts Centre
Tickets can be bought through the Living Arts Centre’s Box Office (905-306-6000) or online at www.livingartscentre.ca/theatre-performances/gardish-mein-taare. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available by calling the Box Office.
