It all happened nine years ago. Ashvin Gidwani was visiting friends in Florida, when two Indian couples had a showdown. It would change their lives. One marriage broke, the other survived.
That evening lingered for long in Ashvin’s mind, six years to be precise, before he wrote it all down. It premiered as The Scent of a Man in 2013, to much appreciation.
And now, this modern take on relationships comes to Chennai — it will be staged on August 27 (Saturday) at The Westin Chennai, Velachery.
This is the 52nd time the play is being staged, and Ashvin says that while the basic premise remains the same, it takes on a different flavour in every city, to suit the local culture and ethos. So, Chennai might have jokes that are toned down to appeal better to local sensibilities. “ The Scent of a Man is a laugh-a-minute production. It’s about what happens when there are two couples in a living room, and what happens when a match is struck.”
Ashvin, who has hit shows across genres — History Of India , The Alchemist , Blame it on Bollywood , Battle of Da Sexes , Double Deal , Mad About Money , Funny Thing Called Love , Punch-A-Tantra and Two To Tango, Three To Jive (staged at The Hindu Theatre Fest in Bangalore last year) — says that writing The Scent of a Man took a lot of effort because it was all about fast-paced dialogues, and comic timing.
“In relationships, you either reconcile and make up, leave the past behind and move on, or go your own way. Compromise is inevitable. But, invariably, people start taking each other for granted. You have to work on a relationship. Things will happen, there will be temptations… but, how do you face them? That’s what the play is about,” says Ashvin, who fondly recalls the reception the play received at India Habitat Centre and NCPA, Mumbai. “The ovations made it all worthwhile.”
The director says he dabbles in many genres because he tends to get bored. “I’ve got 21 productions in the pipeline, to be staged over the next five years. All our creations do about 100 shows. I’m very passionate, but also need to keep doing new things. All I need is a professional team and director,” says Ashvin, who also greenlights plays as producer.
The play stars Deven Khote, Bhavna Pani, Ashwin Mushran and Suchitra Pillai, actors Ashvin is comfortable directing. “Ash Chandler was part of the original cast, but he could not be part of this for health reasons, and Ashwin took his place. We waited six months before moving on. When I direct, I feel one with the actors. It’s my team, and everyone’s special,” says Ashvin who, after Chennai, takes the play to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, London, Singapore… and, the U.S.
The couple that inspired the play are helping him show it there, and will take a curtain call with the team. “I hope they like it,” smiles Ashvin.
They should. After all, few get to see a comedy inspired by their lives.
