A lot of people chose to spend their evening watching the play, ‘Two to Tango, Three to Jive’, that was held at the Leela Palace recently. The venue was overflowing with people of all age groups a good hour before the play began.
The play was a creative take on life after marriage, extramarital affairs and complications involved in the same. The story revolved around the life of Parminder Singh Sethi (played by Saurabh Shukla), a hotelier and his attempts to have a fling outside his marriage.
The play was about what happens when the proverbial midlife crisis knocks and barges through the doors of Parminder Singh Sethi’s mundane existence. Caught between continuing with his monotonous life and the enticing prospect of turning things around, the play chronicles his journey. It ebbs and flows with practical, comic, confusing and passionate tides.
What happens when three women enter the picture — complications galore or does his life take another twist? The scene opens with Parminder setting a meeting with a woman, played by Nigaar Khan. The two get talking on different issues and part ways on a nasty note. The second lady, played by Mona Wasu, is an actress who thinks highly of herself.
She keeps Parminder engaged with stories about her experiences in the film industry and with other men. Her payment issues crop up in the course of their conversation and she too gives Parminder a lot of hope — but nothing really happens between them. In the third scene, Parminder is sitting with another woman, played by Preiti Mamgain.
The woman is depressed about everything she sees around her. Parminder’s conversation with the lady makes him gloomy. Saurabh explains, “As human beings, we tend to reflect on our lives and come across interesting and boring moments. A lot of people feel lonely and empty and sometimes yearn to be with someone with whom they can just sit and talk without any inhibitions. This character of Parminder, who tries to have a fling with three women but gets rejected by all the three, goes through a lot of emotions and different thoughts .” Saurabh says he chose the three women after much thought.
“Nigaar has this seriousness about her, yet she’s capable of handling comedy with ease.
Mona is an avid traveller and is adventurous. I thought she could carry off the role of a dumb blonde actress really well. She has the sensibility and understanding to play tough roles,” he adds. And Preiti Mamgain, says Saurabh, is a good friend.
Saurabh confesses that he really liked the character of Parminder. “He’s a confused guy and wants to sleep with three women but ends up doing nothing. That’s life,” he reasons. Those in the audience were clapping and laughing at regular intervals. They enjoyed the satire and sarcasm. Surender Singh, a theatre enthusiast, says, “I really like the way Saurabh handled his character. There was so much maturity and emotion in his role. He’s a brilliant actor.” Sheela M, another audience member, notes, “The three women were distinct and unique in their role and appearances. The women added a lot of zest to the play.”
