Tucked away in a by-lane of the busy industrial area known as Okhla, lies a decrepit factory. Covered in scaffolding, and overrun with fungi, mould and other prominent signs of disrepair, one wouldn’t peg it as the space of choice for a theatre performance. Yet, as one discovers soon enough, the space itself is a character in this experimental, immersive, multi-lingual, musical theatrical experience called ‘The Money Opera’.
For the opening scene, a restive audience waiting at the gates, is suddenly quietened by the single file appearance of a sombre crew. The actors, clad in interesting costumes, climb up the scaffolding, while the character of the Soprano (rendered by gifted singer Aastha Mohapatra) sets the tone for the 90-minute play with her moving lament on the relentless human quest for money. Soon after, these same actors move inside the building beckoning the audience to follow. They quickly spread across individual rooms and spaces in the two-story abandoned bungalow.
The narrator who plays the landlord (Suvrat Joshi) introduces the audience to the base storyline, before they disperse in small groups to each individual performance, circulating among the rooms, as the actors repeat their high-octane performances for new groups, many of which involve dancing, singing and strong emotional outbursts. Each of them – a cleaner of radiation affected areas (Abhishek Kaushal), a nostalgic builder (Aditi Gautam), a hopeful explorer (Ashish Ghosh), a thrill-seeking capitalist (Jitu Rabha), a sad and tired goddess (Silpi Dutta), a proud thief (Snehalata Tagde), an inheritor, a cosmetologist and a madwoman – highlight their own peculiar situations in life, to which they were led in the pursuit of money. A real astrologer / fortune teller (Ramdas Joshi) who reads hands for a fee of Rs 30, ties this multi-pronged scene together, resulting in a somewhat creepy but highly effective and very thought-provoking play.
Directed by Amitesh Grover and written by Sarah Mariam, ‘The Money Opera’ was commissioned by Serendipity Arts as a prelude to its upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) in Goa in December 2023. The play is one of many offerings in SAF’s #BeyondSerendipity campaign which will take place around the country and has been put together with the support of The Gujral Foundation in Delhi.
The Money Opera first opened in an earlier edition of SAF, in an abandoned building in Goa, and became an instant hit. Grover says, “It is a special project with special needs that needed the right location.” Hence, he is grateful to The Gujral Foundation for its support with the venue. “It is not easy to find an abandoned building. But SAF has done it so well – both times, reaffirming their faith in the production and showing their intention to invite a new audience in a new city to watch the production. The Factory is an ideal venue where we will create a fictional universe with complex narratives revolving around money matters,” he says.
The team at SAF explains the concept, “The Money Opera unravels stories of greed, desire, love, ambitions and a multitude of emotions and behavioural patterns that dictate our ways of being. The 90-minute show gives agency to the audience over which story they want to engage with, but they hold no power over what happens inside the building. The characters inhabiting the space come from varied spectrums of socio-cultural backgrounds and feature a mix of professional actors and real-life performers. The audience will meet several characters who share their stories that are intricately woven into the fabric of the society.” A few new characters and stories have been introduced specially for the Delhi leg of the show.
“The play has a soul, and it will bring within its fold cultural stories of a new city,” highlights Grover.
SAF’s collaboration with The Gujral Foundation in Delhi for the #BeyondSerendipity campaign comes on the heels of their “shared goal of championing creative and young artistic voices, by creating a robust support system for artists across disciplines in the country.”
“We have always believed in the power of collaboration and co-creating with like-minded institutions and individuals to create an ecosystem that is supportive of art and creativity. For this special project, we are happy to have joined hands with The Gujral Foundation. Our ethos is anchored in creating a thriving ecosystem that provides support, resources and opportunities necessary for emerging talent to flourish,” says Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival.
Feroze Gujral, Director, The Gujral Foundation adds, “The larger purpose of The Gujral Foundation and Serendipity Arts Foundation is tied to the common thread of developing a nourishing ecosystem supportive of performative arts and emerging talent. We both believe in democratizing art and our constant efforts are focused on empowering the next generation of artists to push boundaries, innovate, and contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of creative expression.”
As South Asia’s largest inter-disciplinary festival, the SAF is committed to celebrating inclusivity by increasing access to its offerings to people around the country. The #BeyondSerendipity campaign is in keeping with this mandate. It began this year with two successful chapters in Pondicherry and Kolkata.
“To develop an ecosystem for art and creativity, it is vital to collaborate and co-create with like-minded institutions and individuals. Our aim is to develop a thriving network that provides support, resources and opportunities necessary for emerging talent to flourish; we are delighted to join hands with The Gujral Foundation to support this unique and special project in an unconventional setting,” says Sunil Kant Munjal, the founder and patron of the SAF.
‘Unconventional’ is certainly the right description for this play. The audience, moving between rooms, is constantly hit by stark reminders of sadness, adversity and the strength of the human spirit in overcoming them. It can be too much to take in all at once – which is why the audience can decide what they want to see, and how much of it. People can walk in and out of performances as they please, though most stay riveted till the end of each one. However, this results in people missing out on two-three performances entirely with the 90-minute slot not being enough to cover them all. This is not a critique, it is just something to note, so you are better prepared in your choice of stories when walking in to watch ‘The Money Opera’.
The Money Opera will run in the capital from September 23 to October 8, with two shows at 6 pm and 8 pm every day. Bookings can be made on BookMyShow.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.