The phrase “Thanks, Einstein” may be laced with sarcastic undertones and used today as a weapon to mock friends, but after watching Naseeruddin Shah’s 75-minute English play, Einstein, you may become more enlightened about the German physicist.
“This play is accessible and not technical … His personal life is an important part in the play. He ignored his family and concentrated completely on his work. He’s a guy who got around quite a bit, a flirt,” said Shah in an interview.
Presented by the Indian theatre company Motley Group and the local organiser ADSS Events, the play is directed by Shah and written by Gabriel Emanuel.
“This play carries a message which is important for the troubled times we live in,” he added.
The 66-year-old actor, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Dubai International Film Festival and has acted in hits including Masoom, The Dirty Picture and Ishqiya, will stage his play in Abu Dhabi (January 28) and Dubai (January 29 and 30). Excerpts from the interview …
Q: Tell us about your play Einstein and why should we watch it?
A: It’s a good play. It contains an important message of peace, communicated through the character of Einstein, who in this play, is shown as someone who’s suffering from enormous guilt. He feels guilty about contributing — in an indirect way — to making a weapon [atom bomb] which is likely to destroy the world. It’s about Einstein, the person. It’s accessible and not technical or scientific. It’s a play which is funny and touching.
Q: These days, phrases such as “Thanks, Einstein” are used to mock someone when they display a streak of intelligence. So how will this play connect to a New-Age generation who isn’t familiar with the scientist beyond the basics?
A: Look, I wasn’t familiar with Einstein before I started doing this play. In school I couldn’t understand a word of what he had dealt with. Even though I cannot claim to know him well even now, this play will be an introduction to Einstein the person. Everybody knows his name and that he was a great scientist. They also know he was a funny man because they have seen his pictures where he is sticking his tongue out. Etc. Hopefully, there will be a curiosity to know a little more about him and to gain an insight into what made him tick. This play has enjoyed tremendous success in India. We have performed around 35 times and received an overwhelming response. The viewers found it accessible and enlightening. The curiosity about the man lured them into watching Einstein.
Q: Are you dwelling much on Einstein’s chequered personal life?
A: Yes, it doesn’t just touch upon it. His personal life is an important part in the play. He ignored his family and concentrated completely on his work. He’s a guy who got around quite a bit, a flirt. All these things are in the text. It’s beautifully woven in by the writer Gabriel Emanuel in the play’s text. When a play is written well, it’s easy to act in it. It’s tougher to act in a poorly written play.
Q: What were the challenges with Einstein?
A: The exciting part about this play is that we see a lot of students watching it. Many a time, my plays are written by Ismat [Chugtai] and Krishan Chander who are three generations away and those students are delighted to see that their country has such rich Indian literature. I am hoping that there will be a large number of students in the audience in Dubai too. That’s the section that I want to get through: the younger crowd. About the challenges I faced, the good news is that I didn’t have to work hard to look like Einstein. I look a lot like him. There were so many photographs, movie clippings and audio recordings of Einstein, I had to approximate that. The main challenge in any play is not to intrude as an actor in communicating the text. A play is never done to show off how well I can act.
Q: But how do we forget Shah, the actor and the Bollywood star? Aren’t you asking the impossible from the viewers since there’s a distinct persona attached to you?
I hope you never see familiar mannerisms in this one. I appreciate the fact that viewers have certain expectations from me. What I do on the stage is not necessarily for the audience, but I feel a huge responsibility towards them. Luckily, I am not stuck with any persona attached to stars or a fixed image. In fact, what the audience expects from me is to see something they have never seen before each time I appear. I feel proud of that and I hope I can keep surprising them.
Q: Lastly, do you think this play will appeal to today’s generation who are known to seek instant gratification?
I don’t think about all that. I am not on social media and I am proud to say that I don’t see my audience on their cellphones when I am performing. I appreciate the younger generation of my country, who I think are tech-savvy and are well informed.
Don’t miss it!
When: Thursday, January 28
Where: Abu Dhabi Theatre
Time: 8pm (Gates open at 7.30pm)
When: Friday and Saturday, January 29 and 30
Where: Centrepoint Theatre Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
Time: 8pm (Gates open at 7.30pm)
Tickets: Dh150, Gold; Dh300, Dh500, Dh700
Contact: 04 3414777 or 04 4573212
