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Wednesday 5 October 2011

THE PRAVAH TEAM

NEERAJ KABI - [Founder and Artistic Director of Pravah Theatre Laboratory].
Neeraj Kabi is the founder of Pravah Theatre Laboratory. He is an actor, director and  trainer. As an actor he has worked in the lead roles with national and international theatre directors including Indian film makers of international repute. His productions as a theatre director have been invited to all the major national theatre festivals including the International Ibsen theatre Festival in Delhi . He has been conducting theatre workshops  since 1996 and has traveled across the country to conduct workshops for actors, children, young adults, adults, animators, schools, colleges, corporates and parents. His technique is his own discovery and has borne powerful results.


DEEPALI KOSTA KABI - [ Co- Founder, Costume designer ]
Deepali has been the co-founder of the theatre company. She has been the chief costume designer and creator for all Pravah theatre productions. Deepali Kosta holds a Diploma in Dress designing and Manufacturing from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. Deepali was the Senior Head Designer at KALA NIKETAN’S “STUDIO KN”[Export house], Mumbai. She has designed costumes for Rajat Kapoor's film - HYPNOSIS that was screened at the Italy Film Festival. She has also designed costumes for Nachiket Patwardhan's feature film - LIMITED MANUSKI.  She Worked as a Designer and Production Coordinator with Priyadarshani Rao . She runs her own apparel workshop and designs clothes for her personal clientele.
 


GIRIJA OAK - [Chief Administration and Operations Manager, Systems Designer,Actor ]
Girija has been associated with Pravah since its inception and has been a key figure in the growth of the company. She has been assisting Neeraj in all activities of Pravah as a coordinator ever since the company began functioning. Girija herself is an accomplished young actress in the Marathi film and television industry. 

MANDAR GOKHALE - [Actor, Trainer, Yoga teacher ]
Mandar is one of the company's senior actors and the oldest. He has trained with Neeraj since the inception of the company. 


RESHMA SHETTY - [Actor, Trainer, Classical Dancer ]
Reshma is part of the team of Pravah's senior actors as well as the oldest. 


SANATAN CHAKRAVARTY - [ Actor, Trainer, Classical Dancer ]


SATISH KRISHNAMURTHY - [ Classical Karnatic Musician, Trainer ]


CHRISTOPHER FERNANDES - [ Martial Artist, Trainer]

SHASHI ARYA - [ Chief Publicity Designer ]

PRAVAH THEATRE REHEARSAL PICTURES




NEWSPAPER REVIEWS- NEERAJ KABI [ACTOR]



NEERAJ KABI

ACTOR

[ NEWSPAPER REVIEWS ]


This is an actor to watch. Voice, movement, gesture were beautifully honed and he had the comic spirit and timing which made the consciously overdone mannerisms of his character entertaining, not tiresome. His presence infused some energies into the others.

(Marivaux’s “The game of love and chance” directed by French – Italian Rene Migliaccio)

[Kamala Ramchandani in Afternoon Dispatch And Courier, 25th January 2001.]


At the centre was Neeraj Kabi as Sganarelle, his age and character defined by legs bent at the knees, neck cocked to one side, hands curved like claws and a mask of permanent anxiety.Align Centre

(Moliere’s “Love is the best remedy” directed by Jean- Jaques Bellot from France)

[Shanta Gokhale in The Times of India.]



Four players in particular standout. One of them being Neeraj Kabi as Banquo as well as the English doctor. (Shakespeare’s Macbeth directed by Salim Ghouse)

[Ashok Banker in The Asian Age, 7th October 1998.]



Neeraj Kabi as Hamlet was outstanding.

(Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead directed by Atul Kumar of The Company Theatre.)

[Harit Mehta in The Times of India, Ahmedabad.]



Neeraj Kabi as Banquo has a great voice and presence.

(Shakespeare’s Macbeth directed by Salim Ghouse)

[Shanta Gokhale in The Sunday Times of India, August 2nd 1998]



Neeraj Kabi performing as the son takes the father to the river bed and performs the sword dance, a five minute scene of pure magic, before the old man collapses. Hauntingly shot and enacted.

(A.K. Bir’s “ The Last Vision”, a feature film produced by N.F.D.C that won the national award in 1998 and made it to the Singapore film festival, Cairo film festival and the Kerela international film festival.)

[Ajit Duara in Gentleman, 14th July 1997, The Times of India, July 6th 1997.]



Neeraj Kabi is a well known and well respected figure in the theatrical circles of Bombay. I came to know him well during the Alliance Francaise production of Moliere’s “Love is the best remedy”. The director of the play, M. Jean – Jacques Bellot, was impressed by the acting abilities of Neeraj Kabi and entrusted him with the lead role in this well known farce by Moliere.

[a recommendation by Pierre – Emmanuel Jacob (Director – Alliance Francaise De Bombay.)]

NEWSPAPER REVIEWS- AHAM






AHAM

[NEWSPAPER REVIEWS]


A dollop of Bharatnatyam and India’s most popular martial art forms Thangta (Manipur) and Kalaripayattu (Kerela, and voila: Pravah Theatre Laboratory ensured their debut play lived up to their experimental group name. – The Asian Age Mumbai, 1 June 2005.


Theatre, expecially during one’s formative years, is not about acting or writing, but about living, grins Kabi. (catch Aham at Prithvi Theatre till June 2 at 11 am) – The Asian Age Mumbai, 1 June 2005


They use masks, puppets (all designed by Ali), martial art, dance and common metaphors to talk about issues that we would think twice about before voicing and opinion. . – Westside PLUS, TIMES OF INDIA, Saturday June 5, 2005.

The Shylock metaphor openly questions discrimination – “Just cos I’m a Muslim everyone just assumes I’m going to support Pakistan during cricket matches,” adds Raza. – Westside PLUS, TIMES OF INDIA, Saturday June 5, 2005.

Seriously, Yuva! Aham is a play by a bunch of youngsters who plan to redefine stage with a focus on youth, says Deepa Gahlot. – BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA.

Aham is about us, the youth, It takes the audience on a journey through our experiences, “ they say and describer i8t a s experimental, with a lot of colour, body movement, speech styles, reer pressure, religion, communalism, discrimination, violence, or teenage crime, this bunch from the Pravah Theatre Laboratory for the Young, has touched upon a lot of issues. – BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA.

Using masks, puppets, martial arts, peces of literature and drama, they have created a unique piece of work. – BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA.

And yet, a beautiful near-perfect form emerges through the play that shlcks conventional theatrical wisdom from its complacent throne. – Shriti K, Sunday MID DAY, June 19, 2005

The range is fascinating and acts as tool in itself to depict the state of mind of the youth – fluctuating. The actors, all students from Prithvi Summertime workshop, perform with conviction and exude an enormous amount of energy. There is not a single dull moment in the play. The use of light and sound completely complements the play and so do the minimal sets – a series of paintings of facial expressions as the backdrop. – Shriti K, Sunday MID DAY, June 19, 2005


NEWSPAPER REVIEWS- HAMLET



HAMLET

[NEWSPAPER REVIEWS]

The British Council is pleased to support Pravah Theatre Laboratory’s performance of Hamlet, Directed by Neeraj Kabi - British Council, Mumbai July, 2005.

How does a theatre group get today’s audiences to see a Shakespeare play? Neeraj Kabi and his group Pravah did some interesting work with Hamlet and presented a show that was experimental in the best sense of the term. By Deepa Gahlot, Bombay Times, THE TIMES OF INDIA, Saturday, 30 July, 2005.

He blended the original English work with Harivanshrai Bachchan’s excellent Hindi translation, used Yakshagana performers from Karnataka, live Dhrupad singing and a team of spirited young actors to produce a very watchable play. By Deepa Gahlot, Bombay Times, THE TIMES OF INDIA, Saturday, 30 July, 2005.

They managed to hold the packed audItorium for nearly two hours (without an interval). - By Deepa Gahlot, Bombay Times, THE TIMES OF INDIA, Saturday, 30 July, 2005.

Created by Shakespeare and adapted by Harivanshrai Bachchan, Hamlet now hits Mumbai as an ensemble of both visions. The original dialogue is merged with Hindi and an integration of various art forms like bharatnatyam, odissi and ancient music forms dhrupad and yakshagana. - By Sulakshana Gupta, The Indian EXPRESS, Tuesday,July 19, 2005.

Desi Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark. Two Hamlets, one male, one female. A puny king and a towering Polonius. Dialogue that bounces between Shakespeare’s English and Harivanshrai Bachchan’s Hindi translation, Dhrupad, yakshagana and Kabuki. An unlikely melange, perhaps, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from Neeraj Kabi. Kabi’s version of Hamlet’s quest for truth and justice attempts to adapt the Bard’s Elizabethan world to Indian sensibilities. - By Jayati Vora, TIME OUT MUMBAI, July 15, 2005.

Kabi’s production seems almost like a ballet. Which is very attractive. Kabi’s Hamlet is an adventurous project that makes for interesting viewing. – TIME OUT MUMBAI AUGUST 12 – 25, 2005.

Kabi’s plays, including his debut Aham, emphasise creative use of body movements. This play, as a flurry of images, is detailed and delicious.- Ananya Sen, DNA Mumbai, Saturday August 13 – 2005.

Director-actor Neeraj Kabi of Mumbai, who brought his production of "Hamlet" to the just ended Theatre Utsav of the National School of Drama in Delhi. At the festival his production was received as a remarkable experimental piece of theatrical art. -Diwan Singh Bajeli, The Hindu Delhi , 27 January, 2006


"We had the very exciting Hamlet by Neeraj Kabi. After a long time, we saw challenging new work from Bombay with new ways of constructing narrative." – Amal Allana , who heads the National School of Drama, talks to Subuhi Jiwani about its ongoing international theatre festival and the modernity of Asian and Arab theatre . DNA Mumbai, 13 Jan, 2006

NEERAJ KABI AS ACTOR













NEERAJ KABI AS DIRECTOR - AHAM












PRAVAH THEATRE LABORATORY FOR THE YOUNG

[13-17 YRS.]

A H A M

A laboratory script product

Premiered at Prithvi theatre in 2004

A play in English

Performed 14 shows at Prithvi and Alliance Francaise de Bombay in 2005

A debut production




AHAM AUDIENCE REACTIONS/ FEEDBACK


  • “The blue girl was really very good – her performance was extremely soothing and definitely gets the feeling that she is the spirit” – Shama, 20, student
  • “This was the best performance, absolutely amazing!!! Salaam to you.”
  • “Very abstract, some people may find it difficult to connect with, but very successful indeed. Great job.”
  • “Each individual segment was complete in itself and in no way connected to the next. It would have been more impactful if there was a point to it in the end. But yet, a very different and holistic experience” – Shyama, 20, student
  • “ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The actors were brilliant.”
  • A great attempt! Try and simplify the message a bit.
  • I think it was great, lot of energy, the best part of it was that it was done by teens!” – Charmi
  • “Am seeing the play for the 4th time. Every time it’s a new and wonderful experience! Keep up the good work Pravah… this is a unique first production P.s. music, training, sets – THUMBS UP! Kudos to the actions!” Anisha Sharma
  • “I liked the stories but as I am too young I did not understand the whole play” – sanskar 11
  • “Performances were good… lot of energy, lot ointensity. Keep it up!” – Anupuma
  • “I found myself somewhere. rocking attempt. Cool actors. Amazing emotions. Very real and rare. All the best.”
  • “The play completely rocked. It was mind boggling and fantastic. I could actually relate myself to the play and I loved it. Loads of luck”
  • “It was so amazing. It was a masterpiece. Keep up the freaking good play” – Karan
  • “Good work” – Denina s
  • “The play simply rocked. In fact my friends and I will come for it tomorrow also. You actually showed the emotions of teenagers. I think all parents should come and watch it. Lots of love and luck” – Varsha
  • “Excellent. It was awesome. Everything from the actors to the lighting to the act was just awesome. I especially loved the music. It was real and cool. Three cheers to you, for such an awe inspiring play which will surely start lots of thoughts and questions in each person. Love and luck to you.”
  • “It was an awesome performance. Intellectual and interesting. Emotions were portrayed with precision and total involvement. Superb work. Excellent. Keep it up. All the best for the future.”
  • “Director should make people understand the concept before starting the play. It was awe inspiring. Good work. Wish you all luck”
  • “Expressions were very nice and reality was bought out very well”
  • “It was fantastic. Acting, direction, lighting and sound effects were done extremely well. Keep it up”
  • “Fantastic display of emotions, talent and creativity. Body movements were nice.”


ACTORS’ EXPERIENCES AND FEELINGS AFTER GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CREATING AHAM
[a theatre production]

  • “Aham is not just a play, its life!! Put down into acts and scenes I learnt about myself.” Indrajeet Ghosh
  • “Aham for me is unfolding of a cocoon. A journey unforgivable… Aham for me is a definition in itself, a definition that is undefined. Beautiful journey that is short yet never ending” – Sanjana.
  • “It was a great change in my life. I came to know a lot about myself. My life has changed completely on basis of speech, body and more. It was FUN working with all of them.” Raveena
  • “AHAM was not just a play for me; it was an experience that I shall never forget… I actually got time to sit and think about me, myself…. I never really thought that I shall be able to experience such a thing in any other group.” – Janvi
  • “AHAM for me is my voice. It has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. It has really improved me as a person, as a student, as an artist. It made me express my thoughts and opened up my life for me. Aham depicts life as a system each screen and cog work in a cohesive and organized uniformity. It opens up the working of life itself.” - Ali Akbar
  • “AHAM!! What can I say? 2 years and I still can’t get enough!! Writing it is much different from performing it. I love AHAM…” – Raza
  • “BRILLIANT. Performed so many shows. I feel really good and very different. PRAVAH has taught me – DON’T GIVE UP!! Something that I have never followed in my life. I always reach the end and then suddenly give up. I have learnt to reason everything. There is an answer to everything. I have started focusing and become much more determined. I owe it to Neeraj Sir fully! I have changed for the better. Thanks!” – Aahana
  • “AHAM… wow. What was I when I started off and now I am a completely different person! This play gave me maturity. I suddenly started feeling better as a person and as a human being. It taught me so many things which I did not even think of thinking. Hmmmmm…. Just one amazing experience!” – Alkesh
  • “This play is my first play in which I am performing throughout. I feel excited doing this play. I love performing this play.” – Samay
  • “AHAM for me is inspiration to think selflessly. I have grown as a person. It has completely changed the way I think. It’s my life in words. I always had a problem expressing myself but AHAM has given my thoughts words. AHAM is a better understanding of life.” - Hoimi

  • ““Its not about acting but living.” Sir said on the first day that I joined Pravah. I feel I realize now how true and meaningful it is. I learnt what ACTING is and it is TOUGH. I’ve grown up to respect time and whatever I have been provided with. It was an intense and growing process. I definitely believe that theatre is an experience to the experienced by all adolescents and the medium should be given much more credit, recognition and above all respect. It was fun!!” – Vyoma Vegad
  • “AHAM is not a play for me, it is my life. I have been with AHAM for two years and after all this time of performance and administration work for Aham it feels like Aham is a body organ of mine. Nothing less than my eyes, nose, etc…. Learning from Aham and Pravah on the whole has been a long and beautiful process.” – Girija Oak
  • “AHAM was a turning point in my life. I had come on the first day as a person with low physical intelligence and understanding. Through Aham I have traveled a journey I will never forget it. It taught me more in a month than in twelve years.” – Mrinmoyee Chatterjee


NEERAJ KABI AS DIRECTOR - HAMLET







H A M L E T

Premiered at Prithvi theatre in July 2005

Performed 28 shows.

A play in English and hindi.

Supported by the British council division Mumbai.

A play using Indian traditions of Yakshagana and dhrupad.

Official entry at the National theatre festival, Mumbai.

Official entry at the NSD National theatre festival,Delhi.

Opened the Kala Ghoda Theatre festival,Mumbai.

Performed in Mumbai,Bangalore,Delhi.

A debut production


HAMLET

ABOUT THE PLAY

Hamlet happened by chance. The play has evolved from a training program that I was conducting for my new team of actors. Hamlet led us to many facts and facets of life around us. The more we read it the more we saw in terms of theatre. Work on Hamlet began in 2003.Extensive research was done on history, socio-political situations in England and India when Hamlet was written, paintings, mind sets, philosophies, etc.

The need to adapt the play to an Indian sensibility came across very strongly. Dhrupad and Yakshagana being prevelant forms of art at the time Hamlet was written excited me as a director. The entire process of creation has come out of careful study of the text, the background, the actor’s lives and what we are representing today. It was very important for me to know what each actor was trying to say through the play. The discoveries were exciting. At some point the ragaas of the music of Yakshagana and Dhrupad connected very beautifully. The speeches of the characters got perfectly translated into Dhrupad. The feelings, rhythm and weight of Shakespeare’s lines became a perfect representation of ragaas.

The design of the movements of the actors is to me a physical representation of Dhrupad. They move and speak within the ‘bandish’ of the four beat rhythm making ‘Denmark a prison’.

The attempt was to fuse the three traditions of Yakshagana, Dhrupad and Theatre together in one space without disturbing their sensibilities.

The other tough task was to shrink this long play to 1 hour 45 minutes.

There are sequences in the play where two scenes in different spaces happen at the same time. Such is life and so is the theatre.

Hamlet has been a long journey in the making and in a city like Mumbai it gets all the more tough. To me the play has been a powerful process of growth as an individual. It has made me feel the power of theatre and has given me the opportunity to touch the lives of my entire crew through the theatre. I am grateful to the Dhrupad artistes and the Yakshagana team for having consented to work together on this venture which I thought might be impossible.

The cast of actors and the Yakshagana players have changed innumerable times. Yet everything settles………almost surrendering to the play and ultimately to the theatre.


AUDIENCE REACTION
  1. I’ve never seen HAMLET in that perspective – The male and the female. It was amazing. PREETI GANGOLY – [Director of Ashok Kumar’s academy of dramatic arts]
  1. I think this one of the finest production I have seen ever. Nobody does this kind of experimentation now a days with a form, etc. and that too with a play like HAMLET. The kind of interpretation that Neeraj has done with the play and all the Indian forms is just fabulous. I just cannot express myself because I am so excited after the show. VINAY PESHWE – [National school of drama, Graduate]
  1. We have seen HAMLET on screen, in the theatre and all that but this time it was really unusual. It’s really amazing how we can use the Indian art forms. An amazing and unusual performance. AUDIENCE- [ At the Prithvi Theatre show, Mumbai ]
  1. No comments. Truly awesome. AUDIENCE- [ At the Rangashankara Theatre show, Banglore]



FOR THE ACTORS – A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY

  1. During the exercise my whole life came in front of my eyes, amazingly connecting with the life of my character. I went through a myriad of emotions and by the end of the exercise there were tears in my eyes, not of self pity, but of acceptance of the world. After that day it has been a long journey of discovery on each day of the rehearsal as a person and as an actor. GAURAV SAINI – [Actor playing Horatio]
  1. For the first time in my eleven years of theatre my energy level is constant. I am willing to learn whatever I am being taught. UJJWAL CHOPRA – [Actor playing Guildenstern]