A play about a couple of young septuagenarians by self confessed amateurs may not create huge ripples in acting circles, but lawyer Percival Billimoria seems quietly proud of his first stage performance in 25 years. “I’ve had the urge to act for a long time. Finally, I decided I’m going to do it no matter what,” says the 40-something Billimoria over coffee at his home in Chhatarpur, while several dogs and birds circle around his sprawling garden.

Considering the dismal response Indian theatre generally receives, the crowds at Billimoria’s adaptation of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys recently staged at Kamani Auditorium, attest, that it’s been a smashing success. By day, Billimoria is a senior partner with AZB, a leading law firm in India, regularly clocking in 18-hour work days. By night, he transforms into a passionate actor, rehearsing dialogues with other busy professionals who share his enthusiasm for the stage. The love of the arc lights led Billimoria to start the Amateur’s Performers Bureau (APB), a platform for people who like to act but because of professional commitments can’t find the time to do it.

“None of us have more than an hour to spare, that too, only after work hours. So we meet at everyone’s convenience at 10 at night and rehearse,” says Billimoria, who’s hired a room in South Extension where the amateurs meet. “Being single helps,” he adds, a tad wryly. The original Sunshine Boys is about a vaudevillian team who fall out, only to reunite 40 years later to perform together. The Indian version of The Sunshine Boys is crammed with cheesy one-liners and lurid observations. Billimoria is occasionally hilarious as the shuffling, ungainly, out-of-work actor with a pronounced Parsi accent. His delivery is perfect, his timing, almost perfect, though the script lags and is absurdly long at 90 minutes. “My physiotherapist, Mr Johri, was massaging my neck and telling me that he too, used to act. That’s when I offered him a part,” says Billimoria. Johri eventually got a pivotal role as Billimoria’s bete noire while another acting enthusiast, writer Omair Ahmed, plays the nephew in the play.

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