Naseeruddin Shah as Einstein. That was an irresistible proposition, and I succumbed. I had watched a lot of his films. Two that particularly stand out in my memory are Finding Fanny and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. I think he had comic talent that remained underexploited.
Anyway, back to the play about Einstein. Essentially, it's a one-man act. He is old, and reminiscing about various things. It's about science too, but also about war and its futility, and scientists and inventors who sell their soul and do things that are detrimental to humanity, along with politicians and other war-mongers.
The play also touches on his marriages, mostly unsuccessful due to his immersion in his work, his ability to take Newtonian Physics many steps ahead and understand time, space and the nature of the universe. Some of the stuff was known, like that joke about relativity- A minute on a hot stove seems like an hour, but an hour talking to a pretty girl seems like a minute.
But what acting! Set design was fantastic, with a bust of Newton to which he speaks occasionally, and a projector showing pics from history, related to what he is saying at any point in time- I thought that was innovative. And a blackboard with mathematical equations all over it. The lighting too, particularly towards the closing scene where stars are simulated, and in highlighting his face and arms when that emphasis was needed.
I was also reminded of the excellent staging of some plays at IIM Indore by a colleague, Shweta Kushal, with amateur actors-students. Prachi Jain, Shreya Surana, Sanjana, are you listening?
