Play Review – Ballygunge 1990 – Rating 4.5 Stars

aryemansaysso April 1, 2019 1 Comment

By Aryeman

Love, deceit, revenge – a common premise for a theatre play or even a Bollywood film. What makes Ballygunge 1990 different is writer-director Atul Satya Koushik’s magical wizardry and the stunning performances of the lead actors.

SCRIPT REVIEW – RATING 4

Technically a complete package on the narration without any loose ends, the pace in the initial 20 minutes slackens a bit. There is no curiosity creation or tension building moments that could involve the audience in anticipation of the romantic story blending into a thriller. Even if it is there, the dialogues take a subtle slant.

The writer’s vision to give an unimaginable climax is what makes you feel WOW about the entire play. An introspective and deep thought dwelling into the psyche of the characters is an untouched terrain which requires an applause.

DIRECTION REVIEW – RATING 5

Right from the beginning, the writer-director Atul Satya Koushik wows you with the ‘loban’ fragrance which seeps into the auditorium. Soft lilting melodies keeping with the Kolkata backdrop add essence to the theme. An eye for perfection on the production values and costumes lend the punch to the story. The only thing which I found missing were the paintings which adorned the wall, somehow they didn’t go in sync with the dialogues pertaining to the ‘bold’ painter. The lilting song has some amazing lyrics and soothing music which add value to the tempo.

As mentioned earlier, the initial pace for the character building and suspense creation could have been snappier. The dialogues were subtle and failed to create the thriller aspect in the start. Surely a brilliant perfectionist attempt!