Dopehri – A Novella by Pankaj Kapur

Reviewed by Jay Mehta

08-08-2016

“Man is the only animal who is prone to insanity because he spends so much time in this suffocating prison within his own head.”

-        -  Colin Wilson

Last Sunday we watched Pankaj Kapur narrating a story to a large audience.

In which film?

No, it wasn’t a film. It was a theatrical performance of his own novella – ‘Dopehri’.

Oh, wait. Are you trying to say that Pankaj Kapur is a creative writer?

Yes! After all, he is an artist in the real sense of the term.

I was flabbergasted to see him playing Abbaji (King Duncan) in VB’s Maqbool (Macbeth), but never had I thought he would have written a touchy novella on the life of an old woman.

As mentioned in the synopsis, ‘Dopehri’ is a foray into the life of Amma Bi. A poor old widow who lives an aimless life in Lucknow. Her son Javed lives with his wife in the US. Furniture of the house and a Paan-box are her only companions in a large ancestral mansion -Laal Haveli. She shares strong emotional bond with her servant Jumman and her Rakhi brother Dr. Saxena. The novella is a tale of Amma Bi's struggle to come to terms with her incurable illness - loneliness.

Written in a hilarious manner, 'Dopehri' draws a collage of interpersonal relationships. There is no denial of the fact that Pankaj Kapur is well versed in presenting dark humour on celluloid and now the same can be said about his writing as well. 

Allow me to make a candid confession at this point (apology for digression). Initially, I was baffled because the way in which the program began seemed rather abrupt. I was clueless for quite a long time as I expected some dramatic beginning. However, I had to remind myself that it is a dramatic reading and not a drama itself. Having said that, I must also mention that Pankaj Kapur sir could make it so gripping and lively that I could almost visualise the scenes. Enlivening the life of a character in front of an audience by just reading aloud is not a cakewalk.

Let's critically analyse various aspects of this performance. To begin with thematic concerns, there are innumerable old men and women in society who have been deserted by their insensitive children. In reality, not all are lucky to get that all's well smile at Second Innings Home as shown in the film Lagey Raho Munnabhai. Those poor souls have to live through humiliation, helplessness and (often) hopelessness. Wealth can never substitute warmth of human relationships. Amma Bi's frequent request to the servant to stay with her in afternoon shows her desperate attempts to be in human company. Generation gap, clash of human nature, possessiveness, ebb in filial piety - whatever be the cause, senior citizens do suffer from acute sense of worthlessness and insecurity. 

However, the darkest cloud has a silver lining. Dr. Saxena's suggestion to invite a tenant in a room turns out to be a ray of hope for Amma Bi. Her tenant Sabhia - a young artist from her maternal place Jonpur develops a strong bond with Bi - a bond which comes closest to mother-daughter relation. Working on Sabiha's project of toy-making gives her a new lease of life.

This transformation from a dejected old widow to a support in craft of toy-making is a pivotal part of the novella. Credit goes to Pankaj Kapur's art of characterisation. He weaves characters with such panache that the audience can effortlessly associate with them.

As far as diction is concerned, it came as a pleasant surprise to me. There is an undercurrent of irony even in apparently normal remarks. Rich, figurative language, pictorial description etc give finesse to the work.

Interestingly, various techniques of stage-craft have been utilised in presenting this novella. Accurate and timely use of light and music has been instrumental in the overall appeal of the work. Sound of a clock-bell or an alarm symbolises time slipping slowly from the fist of Amma Bi. Appearance of a tree without leaves and a kite on it speaks volumes for the barrenness of her existence.

However, there have been some flaws such as fast-paced narration, usage of Hindi and Urdu jargon etc. The way Mr. Kapur read aloud reminded me of dialogue-delivery of Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar especially their frequent gear-shifting of intonation.

To sum-up, this has been a novel aesthetic experience for a connoisseur like me. I truly enjoyed watching it but my expectations soared a bit higher, so I anticipated it to be far better than this. Nevertheless, it must be considered an enriching and entertaining reading of a novella.

Thanks.

 - Jay Mehta
(With creative inputs from Keyur Trivedi and Darshita Dave)