Archana Asthana
A courtroom trial commonly requires evidence, witness testimony, relentless investigation and interrogation to try the case and prove the accused innocent or guilty. In Naatak’s latest offering based on Agatha Christie’s book by the same name, seems to put evidence and testimony itself on trial! Such are the twists and turns that determine the fate of Lalit Chauhan (Ritwik Verma), the accused in the murder of a rich widow, whose death leaves him as the sole heir.
Tightly scripted in Hindi, abridged to 75 minutes, and directed by the talented Anush Moorthy, the play retained all the critical elements and pivots of the original plot and kept the audience riveted, while delivering it in the amphitheater at Kelly Park, amidst all the distractions of an open airpublic space.
In a conversation, Moorthy shared that truncating multiple characters to the most essential was the key and also the main challenge. These were the two expert witnesses (Nivedita Tripathi as the doctor, and Ashish Chakraborty as the inspector), the wife as the star witness (Geetika Shree), and Sejal Desai as the maid of the deceased.
The other characters obviously were the two lawyers (Devika Ashok and Amit Sharma), and a partner only brought in through a telephone conversation in judge (Dilip Ratnam)’s courtroom trying the accused. Succinct dialogues with a glimmer of humor, while maintaining the somber feel; flawless performances by both newbies and veteran actors; and nuanced direction provided an intense experience with minimal props and crew, and a lack of any sound or lighting effects. Actors universally shared the concern for voice projection in this milieu, which actually prompted a more focused participation from the audience.
Verma plays with aplomb the character of the hapless suspect, personifying the edict “innocent until proven guilty” and sticks to his story of being innocent, and unaware of the inheritance left unto him. Plausible reasons for their interactions were drawn from very modern Silicon Valley scenarios as needing funding for start up ideas! The allegations stem from the fact that he had visited this wealthy widow the day of the murder, and her maid allegedly heard them talking at a time wherein the murder was committed, placing him at the scene of the crime.
His only witness who could contradict this was his wife, who was allowed to testify due to a loophole regarding their marital status. A wife’s testimony in defense of her husband’s innocence may not be considered reliable, and so this clever plot hinges on her speaking in court as a witness for the prosecution. Shreeconvincingly portrays thecallous and cold-heartedwife upon initial questioning, clearly bolstering the prosecution. In a series of unusual and eventful discoveries, her testimony against her husband pivots the case when another surprise witness comes forth with evidence that sways the verdict to an undeniable conclusion.
Moorthy’s reimagination of the story originally written almost 100 years ago stands up to the scrutiny and earns its place as another stellar rendition.
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