"Dear Father” Starring Paresh Rawal in Double Role Wins Critical Acclaim

Chicago IL: Manpasand presented Super hit Gujarati play “Dear Father” starring Paresh Rawal has been SOLD OUT for the Friday, May 3, 2013 performance at the Jain Center, 435 Hwy 59, Bartlett, IL. Prior performances in other cities (Atlanta, Reading, Mass., Long Beach Calif., etc) have won critical acclaim with detailed accounts of the plot and acting, such that the play will be presented again also in Hindi to a wider audience, with Huge public demand on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at same location (Jain Center in Bartlett, IL.) Admission tickets were $31, $41, $51, $75, and VIP ($101) which included Gujarati dinner.

Bhavna Modi, the National and local promoter of the play has always bought quality plays to USA. She remarked that “Comedies only work when the actors share certain camaraderie and comfort level with each other, the audience could feel the amazing chemistry of the entire cast on the stage”.

Delicious Dinner was served by Sai Saffron Chat between 6-30 pm and 8-00 pm and play started about 8-30 pm. The show was overcrowded and audience applauded the entire proceedings and dialogues. Once you see this drama, you will start celebrating, “Father’s Day” every day. Writer- Dr. Vivek Bele, Director- Dinkar Jani, Producer Swaroop Sampat and cast- Presh Rawal, Godbole, Chetan Dhanani and Jasmine Jani.

The two-act play on the illusory happiness and secrets of the Mankad family runs for over three hours. Paresh Rawal plays the two roles of an old ailing widower Manubhai Mankad living mostly indoors with his lawyer son Ajay (Chetan Dhanani) and daughter-in-law Alka (Mrinmayee Godbole) in a Mumbai flat and also that of an energetic young police inspector. The play, which depicts mostly through flashback the complex relationships in the Mumbai home of a modern couple living with “Pappaji” (father of the husband), begins with Inspector Sharma visiting to discuss the circumstances surrounding the father-in-law’s fall from the balcony. The generation gap is brought out through a lot of humor. Math gold-medalist and career woman, Alka does not conform to the traditional housewife role of cook and cleaner, which bewilders her father-in-law and vice-versa, thus making for some interesting and sometimes acrimonious exchanges.

Craving conversation, lonely Pappaji keeps calling up the randomly- picked numbers of sons of deceased persons, found on the obituary columns of a local newspaper, to express his condolences, sympathy, and even amusing lines. Manubhai criticizes the young couple for being consumerist and spendthrift, while Alka accuses the controlling father-in-law of having caged up his late wife. Ajay finds it difficult to remain silent as he is drawn into the generational conflict, especially when they have to squabble through the written list of 42 complaints leveled by the grumpy conservative father against the “over-educated” liberated wife. The balcony accident finally forces his hand. The police inspector via his questions is able to explain this loneliness to the son and daughter-in-law and enlighten them on the problems faced by senior citizens.

The father-in-law complains about the daughter-in-law never being at home and not providing “home cooked” food, except via the proxy of the hired the cook. The yardstick for all his evaluations is his former treatment of Ajay’s mother, the ongoing gossip of fellow seniors in the apartment complex, and ultimately to the keeping up social appearances where the man is to be seen as the decision maker. After a hilarious epiphany, Manubhai ruefully admits in private, that it’s the woman—mother, wife, daughter-in-law—who always seem to have the last say. There is even a dig at Narendra Modi, who is held up before his son as a role model in decision-making but here as the defender of manly self-esteem against womenfolk. The political overtones did not fail to draw hoots of laughter from the Gujaratis among the Indian-American audience.

While exemplifying the problems faced by Indian seniors in the modernizing world, the drama and its author have drawn some criticism for portraying a talented daughter-in-law, and hence today’s woman, in a somewhat negative and perhaps derisive light. Alka manipulatively accuses Manubhai of driving a wedge between the married couple and thereby seems to succeed in doing the same between father and son. However, she is not indifferent for she is the one who ensures that father-in-law keeps on schedule with his medicines and personally administers his insulin shots each day. The challenges posed by the joint family might have been explored more sympathetically from all perspectives. In the role of Inspector Sharma in the second Act, Rawal piles on evidence to accuse the couple of driving his older self to suicide or even contemplating his murder. In the concluding scene, he advises Ajay to treat his dad with love and respect, hold his hand, hug him, sit and talk with him as in real home as opposed to a seniors’ care center.

“Dear Father,” which is based on the award-winning play “Katkon Trikon,” also makes fun of marriage, technology, paying bills, devious lawyers, corrupt politicians, and other aspects of daily urban life. Transitioning instantly, seamlessly, and easily between two very different roles, Paresh Rawal is arguably one of the best actors in India today. Having enthralled audiences for over 25 years, he provokes laughter with every wisecrack, quirky accent, and mannerisms. In addition to appearing in many Gujarati plays, Rawal has many Bollywood films to his credit, including Paa, De Dana Dan, m36 China Town, “Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Malamaal Weekly, Golmaal, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge, OMG – Oh My God, and Garam Masala. He has also won several official honors, including a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards, and an IIFA Best Comedian Award. The veteran Bollywood actor most recently starred in Himmatwala.

The national promoter of this gem of a play is Chicago-based Manpasand (Bhavna Modi). She has schedule 60 performance in 70 days. Haribhai Patel of Bhartiya Seniors was applauded for his services and he briefed the audience about activities of Senior Association.

National Sponsors of “Dear Father” events are Jasbir Suga of Suga Builders, Local sposors of this show is Mafat Patel of Air Tours, Naren Patel of Med Star Laboratories, Agiant personality who is always leading at each and every occasion, Sanjay Shah of Axiom Construction, Bharat Thakkar, Tushar Chotaliya Attorney at Law, Sunil Shah of New York, Vasanti Bhatt of Home 4U Realty, Bhupen Patel of Ambit Energy, Jignesh Gandhi of Holy Family Plaza Pharmacy, Malvika Dharia of Alankar Creations, Dr. Nita Patel, Pradip shah- Realtor and Amit Patel of Nupur Sound.

Due to heavy public demand from audience the promoter has decided to have one more show in Chicago on May 19, 2013 Paresh Rawal Dear Father Show in Hindi.