The Water Cycle

To be showcased at the Santipur Natya Mela in West Bengal, Marathi play Mi, Paani ani Savalya takes a look at different shades of water since human evolution

For Pune theatre artiste Shrikant Bhide, it was a trip to Cairo, Egypt, in 2010 that gave birth to the idea of the play that he finally wrote around 15 days ago. Mi, Paani ani Savalya, a dance-drama, was showcased for the first time in Pune at Sudarshan Rangmanch on Monday and has been selected to be presented at Santipur Natya Mela (West Bengal) on December 21.

"I observed that though Cairo is developed along the Nile, the water of the river is crystal clear and unpolluted. This is unlike India where rivers get polluted when they pass cities," says Bhide, adding, that though the idea was conceived back then, he did not act upon it until now. Last year, when he visited Santipur, on the banks of the Ganga, he learnt that the drinking water in the area was scarce despite the river.

"Later, my other projects kept me busy. Around 15 days ago, I sat down to pen my ideas. The memories of Cairo and Santipur were still fresh in my mind, so it did not take time to put my thoughts together," added Bhide, who founded his theatre group Dhyaas in 2008. He has written, directed and choreographed Mi, Paani ani Savalya.

Knowing that enough has been written and talked about the issue of water in recent times, Bhide stayed away from making the play look preachy or giving it a feel of a documentary on water. Instead, he incorporated physical theatre, miming and various abstract as well as contemporary dance sequences in the play. The action revolves around two people. While one is the man who is curious about water and decides to go on a boat journey, the second one is the boatman.

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