When you see Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta and Rakesh Bedi in the cast for a play, one’s expectation is already set very high. Add to this the presenter, Eshani Shah who has brought some of the finest plays to Botson and the expectation rises even higher. This was certainly the case at the Collins Auditorium in Andover, MA where “Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Ta” was played to a full house on August 23, 2015 and all those expectations were fulfilled. 

The play is set in Delhi, in a public park where where two middle age people (played by Anupam Kher and Nina Gupta), lovers during their teenage, reunite. The play beautiful sets the ambience of the Delhi park including the laughing club and the middle aged jogger (played by Rakesh Bedi) who has no hesitation in listening in on private conversations. 

The play serves to present a range of issues. It opens with the case of meddling parents that ruin a perfectly good match and make bad marital choices for their children that leads to lives filled with sorrow. For the girl, the choice leads to a marriage to an abusive husband. For the man it leads to marriage for political gains into a goon family who constantly threaten his life. The goonda life was portrayed with a sense of humor and brought quite a few laughs from the audience.

It later goes on to speak of the issue of children abandoning their elderly parents. The climactic moment in the play was the powerful depiction by Neena Gupta of the moment that egged her to lose her calm and murder her abusive husband.

While the play was indeed intense in its content, the fabulous acting and the subtle humor introduced in the script made the play very entertaining. Tearjerker moments were many in the script. However the unusual end to the play left the audience on a hopeful note wishing the star-crossed lovers great luck. 

The simple, yet very appropriate set and the creative use of film to present flashback added to the impact of the play and succeeded in bringing the message out loud and clear. Neena Gupta’s depiction of multiple characters including the victim of domestic violence and a very innocent not very well educated muslim girl was the highlight of show. Anupam Kher and Rakesh Bedi’s perfect presentations complimented this beautifully. 

It was certainly a most memorable evening. Thank you Eshani Shah for making this happen!