CHAALBAAZ-Paresh Rawal Returns With a Winner

-Kavita Chhibber
Photos : Vinod Devlia

Just as Paresh Rawal hasn’t allowed himself to be typecast in one mould on celluloid, he has retained the same fresh approach to the plays he directs and acts in. “ Unlike most productions which seem to be wrapped up in a month, my plays take 3-4 months of hard work before I let them see the light of day,” said the gifted actor when I spoke to him after seeing his recent production Chaalbaaz, presented by Mark Premji at the exclusive Sydney Marcus auditorium at the World Congress Center on 28th May.
The hard work and attention to detail showed in the play, a thriller with a twist where crisp dialogues, wit, and the unexpected kept the audience on its toes.

The play revolves around an alcoholic has- been film director, Adanwalla (Jayesh Kumar Barbahaya) saved from an accident by an out of work petty crook Subhash Sharma played by Paresh Rawal, who is hired by the grateful man as his chauffeur. Sharma soon finds himself getting embroiled in intrigue as he meets the director’s gold digger wife Mallika(Sunila), his attorney friend Merchant, (played by well-known actor and theater personality Feroze Irani who is actress Aruna Irani’s brother) who doesn’t mind making a play for Mallika when time and inclination permit.
Mallika encourages Adanwalla’s drinking and Sharma soon finds out that she is not averse to getting rid of her husband by hook or crook. Sharma catches her trying to get Adanwalla to drink and drive for a meeting that wasn’t happening at a film studio, while sending Sharma for an errand that was just a wild goose chase. Sharma is two steps ahead of her much to her annoyance intercepting every one of her crooked schemes to get rid of her husband and him.

The director is an alcoholic but not a fool and he tells Sharma that he knows his wife’s crooked ways. He has a plan and also a pleasant surprise for Sharma. Adanwalla pays Subhash six months’ salary in advance, tells him about a life insurance he drew worth 25 crores, and commits suicide.
The insurance policy can only be cashed under certain conditions and there in lies the catch. What follows is a series of twists and turns and schemes to get hold of the money. Both Mallika and Subhash scheme to show that Adanwalla was alive but sick. While Adanwalla’s body is consigned to a fancy German freezer, the duo makes a phone call to Merchant asking for a live- in help as Adanwalla is very sick, trying to create an alibi. Swati(Hetal Patel) a young girl preparing for her exams is asked by Merchant to come in and help. She does and while she hears that Adanwalla is sick she doesn’t get to see him. The secret is almost out as one night Swati, sleep walks to the freezer and almost opens it before Mallika catches her in the nick of time. A plot between Mallika and Subhash ends in chaos when Mallika turns up dead. The police arrive on the scene, with Subhash as a suspect, the attorney Merchant also part of an insidious plot, and Adanwalla’s will which shows Subhash as its sole beneficiary.
 


Who dunnit? To find out, it is a must to see this play. The dialogues were crisp and short, witty and sarcastic. When asked if Adanwalla had a will, Merchant quips, when Dhirubhai Ambani didn’t leave a will why would Adanwalla? referring to the famous Mukesh and Anil Ambani split. The police officer played competently by Rohington Chesan and his buffoon of sidekick Borkar played by Ankit Trivedi are an interesting contrast to the pompous overconfident lawyer Merchant. Swati the seemingly raw Jassi look alike student also has an ace up her sleeve, as she shares a secret with Subhash at the end.
The play belongs as usual to Paresh Rawal.He is such a master of his game, and an actor par excellence that he carries any role he plays to a higher dimension. What stands out is the finesse with which he executes his role. Chaalbaaz is no exception.
Rawal, knows just when to pack a punch. A gesture here, an expression there, somehow it all jells so well. The play had everyone at the edge of their seats, and the clever twist at the end had every one gasping. Mark Premji and his team deserve kudos for bringing yet another excellent play to town. For those who didn’t see this-you missed a stellar performance from an actor who is not only very gifted himself but put together a team that added to every nuance of the play.