Producer – Director – Writer – Set Designer -Costume – Makeup: Rashmi Sharma Artistes: Rashmi Sharma, Zeus Paranjape, Vedika Bhandari, Sadiq Abbas Rizvi, Revant Bhatia, Paritosh Tiwari & Pooja Muralia Music: Nitin Hivarkar Lights: Avinash Kumar Production Manager: Vipin Pandey
“Laughing while falling in Love again because it transcends all” avers Rashmi Sharma, the founder of PGT group. Love as we all know brings two imperfect and completely different people together. It transcends age, time, place, behaviour & worldly concerns. Some say Love happens only once while some say Love can happen again…….Can we fall in Love again?????
Progressive Theatre Group presents Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar directed & penned by Rashmi Sharma a well – known name in theatre circle. The play is a heart warming romantic comedy satire on love & commitment between 2 odd people with nothing in common. Asha‘s life took a turn when she falls for a married struggling actor Aakash Chatterjee. She decides to move in with him against the society norms and has a daughter named Mishti from him out of wedlock. 13 years later, the comfortable world she craved for herself comes crashing down when Aakash abandons her due to his weaknesses & failures as an actor. Heart Broken Asha struggles to stand on her own feet. Asha who is a trained Kathak dancer decides to use her talent to impart Kathak training to students to earn a living for her as well as for her daughter. When she was about to give up on Love & relationships she hears a knock on the door, probably a knock on her heart. Monty Fernandez enters her life as a storm who was again a struggling actor waiting to change her life in the most amazing way. Asha who does not want to depend on another man again especially an actor created walls around herself but in vain. The magic of love unfolded and certain incidents happen which leads them to care for each other, eventually leading them to fall in love. She does not want Monty to be straddled to a woman with a 13 year old child. But Monty who was convinced that he has found a woman of his dreams in Asha was not ready to let her go. They both express their love for each other but fate was repeating itself. Monty got an opportunity to act in a film to be shot abroad. Asha & Misti are shattered again. Will Monty come back? Can Asha find true love a 2nd time? These questions forms the crux of the story of Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar.
The script is well documented and narrated by director Rashmi Sharma. She has succeeded in leading the audiences towards the realisation of her vision. The overall creative interpretation of the script is good. Soulful music is the highlight of the play. I left the theatre humming the song. The music touched the chords of my heart.
In terms of acting Rashmi Sharma & Zeus Paranjape nailed it. Their act was subtle & convincing. I could feel the ups & downs they were going through in their life. If your true love is knocking on your heart and you are confused because of your bad past experience, this is a play for you. One can fall in love a 2nd time. There is no particular time when true love happens, it can happen anytime and at any age. Love does not need to be perfect it just needs to be true.
