FLO Kolkata, under the leadership of chairperson Ms. Nidhi Jhunjhunwala, brought the much- acclaimed play ‘Autobiography’ to its members at GD Birla Sabhagar. The play was written by Mahesh Elkunchwar and directed by Lillete Dubey. The play featured actors Denzil Smith, Lillete Dubey, Suchitra Pillai, and Sarah Hashmi.
The story revolves around an ageing, much-admired, charismatic writer, Anantrao Rajadhyaksha, who dictates his autobiography to Pradnya, an irreverent, bright, sassy PhD researcher, and in the process. He talks about the controversial book on his love life, which he had published earlier, where he spoke about his contemporaries, his troubled 30-year-old relationship with his wife, Uttara, and his brief affair with Vasanti (his sister-in-law), and more.
All the characters share incidents and anecdotes in the present and from the past, each giving their own version of the truth. The audience is never quite sure where the truth really lies. The play unfolds in layers, going backwards and forward in time, as different versions of the truth emerge, revealing characters who are trapped in their own truths.
Taut, gripping, dramatic, and humorous, it’s a rich and layered story that was appreciated by all the 150 members who attended. The play perfectly blurs the line between fact and fiction.