About The Event
Felicity Theatre, India's leading theater production company, presents an extraordinary comedy: "Patte Khul Gaye," written and directed by the highly acclaimed film, television, and theatre personality, Rakesh Bedi.
About the Play
After writing many thought-provoking plays like "Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha," "Shimla Coffee House," and "Jab We Separated," Rakesh Bedi delivers another spectacular theatrical experience. An ingenious, funny, and brilliantly enacted masterpiece, "Patte Khul Gaye" is a hilarious exposé of the hypocrisies in middle-class society. This rib-tickling comedy, which features a large dose of Bollywood glamour, stars Anant Mahadevan, Roopali Ganguli, Kishwar Merchant, Avijit Dutt, Jyoti Singhal, and Rakesh Bedi.
The Plot
"Patte Khul Gaye" tells the story of Dr. Manoj Rai (Anant Mahadevan) and his wife, Manju Rai (Deepti Kumar), who have invited their close group of friends for a dinner party. Manju has spent three days planning a sumptuous menu for this much-anticipated evening.
Among the guests are their old friend "BOB" and an affluent woman, Shireen (Kishwar Merchant), who is extremely rich and doesn't belong to the same middle-class society as the others.
At one point, they all reluctantly decide to play a very funny, yet dangerous, game. The entire party takes a diabolically hilarious turn when, in no time, masks begin to fall off and embarrassing secrets start tumbling out. The ultra-rich Shireen exposes the middle-class values and hypocrisies of the others, condescendingly highlighting their pitiable conditions. She argues that the middle class is always showing off what it has and hiding what it doesn't.
Manju, the lady of the house, refuses to accept this argument. She confronts Shireen and strongly defends the great Indian middle class. Unexpected situations arise, and the poor hostess, Manju, who toiled for three days for this dinner, is unable to even serve the starters as the party descends into chaos. To top it all off, one of the guests, "Akela" (Rakesh Bedi), a poet, comes up with a funny couplet at the drop of a hat to ease the tense moments.
A Modern Twist
The play also touches on a more modern issue: the horrendous extension that everyone has today—the mobile phone. As we all know, a mobile phone is an extended organ of every individual today; no one can live without it, and everyone's true personality is hidden inside their phone.
The guests arriving at Dr. Manoj Rai's house are Akhilendra Akela and his wife, Sapna; Shaam Batra and his wife, Jyoti; Bhupender, who likes to call himself "BOB," and his girlfriend, Shireen Sukheja; and Maddi's Uncle, who is slightly aged and comes without his wife, Uma. All of them have ongoing conversations on their phones.
Akela, a poet, keeps getting calls from Alwar about a mushaira (poetic symposium) where his date has not been confirmed.
Shaam, a builder, keeps getting calls regarding a plot of land he's in the process of buying.
Shaam's wife, Jyoti, keeps getting calls from her kitty party friend because she wants to pick up her kitty (collective fund) this month due to her husband's poor financial condition.
Dr. Manoj Rai also receives calls from a patient, Mrs. Bakshi, who wants her double chin shaped into a single one. After everything is finalized, she haggles over the price, becoming a big comic irritant.
These people, with their persistent phone issues, arrive at the host's house, where their phones continue to ring at regular intervals because their discussions have not reached a conclusion.
The Game
A point in the play comes when all conversations start clashing, and Manju Rai, the lady of the house, gets fed up. Shireen proposes that everyone should place their phones on the center table. If anyone's phone rings, they must put it on speakerphone and answer it. While everyone overtly agrees, they are all covertly scared to death, knowing that if this happens, their true characters will be revealed.
All this while, Akela, the funny poet, continues to deliver hilarious couplets. He's jovial and comically comments on everyone until his own phone rings, and he, too, is exposed. One by one, everyone starts getting exposed, and their true characters come to the fore. The first victim is Manju Rai herself, who was so vehemently advocating for this game. Her husband, Dr. Manoj Rai, proposes to end it, but by then, it's too late.
Though the revelations are wrapped in a superb comic style, the play exposes the underbelly of our society. The story takes a shocking turn with a war of words between Shireen, who represents the super-rich, and Manju Rai, who represents the middle class of our country.
Laced with hilarious situations, "Patte Khul Gaye" is an unbelievable comic journey full of unpredictable twists and turns that's sure to leave you in splits! It's a must-see laugh riot guaranteed to entertain audiences of all ages and all strata of society, as it shows the real face of our society and allows people to identify with it to the core.
The play exposes the mediocrity and hypocrisy of the middle class while also showcasing the snobbishness and arrogance of the super-rich, all through comical situations. It has received raving reviews from both the media and audiences, with one journalist rating it as a five-star viewing experience.
A Message from the Writer
Writer & Director Rakesh Bedi says, "'Patte Khul Gaye' is a hilarious exposé of the hypocrisies and double standards in our society. Whenever we face adversity, we drop our guard, and our true selves emerge."
He adds that the play depicts how every person has many layers, and when certain situations arise, even their closest friends and relatives are shocked at the person they thought they knew. Rakesh Bedi brings another thought-provoking yet laugh-a-minute riot in his inimitable comical style.
