Inspired by American writer O' Henry's short story The Cop and The Anthem, city-based group Mashaal brings on stage the Hindi play Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab
Inspired by American writer O' Henry's short story The Cop and The Anthem, city-based group Mashaal brings on stage the Hindi play Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab
While on a trip to Kodaikanal in February 2010, Abinav Kimothi and Ashiwini Kumar Chakre from the theatre group Mashaal were relieving their childhood memories of reading American writer O' Henry's short stories. They realised that the sheer simplicity of short story The Cop and The Anthem made them remember the plot most. 
Cast of Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab in rehearsalu00a0
The year ago realisation has now been transformed into the Hindi play Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab and it premiers at Ranga Shankara this week. Directed by Abinav Kimothi and written by him and Ashiwini Kumar Chakre, the Indian version of The Cop and The Anthem is an ode to O' Henry.
Explaining why Mashaal chose The Cop and The Anthem, Kimothi says, "Like most O Henry's story and yet more than any other, The Cop and The Anthem has a lot of drama. It takes digs at many unsuspecting flaws in our society. Instead of preaching about what the story tries to convey, the matter is treated in a light-hearted and comic manner. But most of all, it is the sattire, that engages the reader."
He adds that the story is translated into Hindi to help the reader relate better. Also, Kimothi says that audience will identify with the play as the issues portrayed by the protagonists are universal. It deals with the age-old problem of the rich getting richer and the poor becoming poorer. Set against this backdrop, Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab will tell us the story of two homeless writers Ravi and Vinod, who have dreams of making it big.
They are on an adventurous journey to acquire even the basic necessities of life. Kimothi shares that the name Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab can be interpreted in three ways and reflects what the characters experience and feel during the course of the play.
"Hum Hongeu00a0 Naa Kaamyaab shows the determination of the two at one point, a doubt at another and frustration or resignation sometimes. Literal translation into English can be of three meanings-we will be successful, will we be successful? and we will not be successful," says Kimothi.
However, Kimothi insists that though the translation adheres to the basic conflict that O' Henry had narrated, the situation, characters and the story has been changed completely. Unlike Soapy being the central character in the original story, in Hum Honge Naa Kaamyaab, both Ravi and Vinod are equally important and complement each other.
The etching of these characters has been inspired from Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Vasvani's roles in the Kundan Shah directed film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. A fast paced comedy with a bit of romance and music, the play shows an extraordinary day in the life of two such individuals and is a subtle dig at all those who unintentionally make life even worse for the underprivileged.
"In one line the play says that at the end of all hope, there is no hope at all," says Kimothi, who thinks this line sums up the crux of the play.
At: Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar
On: March 22 and 23, 7.30 pm
Call: 9886141174
For: Rs 100
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