Jacqueline Fernandez, Saiee Manjrekar & Others Attend Mahesh Manjrekar’s Gripping Hindi Play Animal
“I don’t have butterflies in my stomach right now… I have dragons!!!” confessed actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar moments before stepping onto the stage for the premiere of his much-awaited Hindi play Animal. “I feel all theatre artists should have that tension. Overconfidence always brings things down. This is one show I’ve wanted to do for a long time… and I just hope I succeed because it is not an easy play.”
What followed was an evening that proved those ‘dragons’ were more than worth it!
The premiere of the play Animal at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, on Saturday night unfolded into a riveting theatrical experience, with Mahesh Manjrekar delivering a high-voltage performance that left the audience completely enthralled. For nearly two hours, the veteran actor held the stage, drawing the audience into an emotional journey filled with laughter, silence, reflection and thunderous applause. Presented by AGP World and produced by veteran theatre impresario Ashvin Gidwani, Animal is a stark and uncompromising play written, directed and performed by Mahesh Manjrekar.
Animal examines the slow, often invisible erosion of the human spirit in the pursuit of ambition. At its centre is Dattu played by Manjrekar, a young man from a small town near Pandharpur, Maharashtra, who arrives in Mumbai chasing the promise of stardom. What begins as faith in the city and belief in himself gradually turns into a fight for survival.
Speaking about the play, Manjrekar described it as “a cartoonist’s take on life in the city.” “Thousands of people come to Mumbai because they believe it is the city of dreams,” he said. “But for every person who becomes successful here, there are countless others whose dreams shatter and turn into nightmares. This play is a tribute to everyone who comes to Mumbai to make a career or earn a living. It is a large-hearted city… but even a city has its limits.”
Animal is also layered with biting commentary and satire. Through Dattu’s journey, Manjrekar cleverly weaves in observations on the political, financial, geopolitical and socio-cultural fabric of the country. The narrative is peppered with pop culture references, insider jokes about the film industry, and witty nods to life in Mumbai, all of which drew enthusiastic reactions from the audience.
In a surprising and delightful twist, Manjrekar also sang and danced to multiple songs during the performance.
Several well-known personalities attended the premiere of the play, including actors Jacqueline Fernandez, Saiee Manjrekar, Siddharth Jadhav, Anusha Dandekar and Sumedh Mudgalkar. Besides Saiee, Mahesh Manjrekar’s daughter Gauri Inngavale and son Satya Manjrekar were also present to cheer him on. Legendary cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar arrived with his wife Manali, while noted homoeopath Dr. Mukesh Batra was also in attendance.
After nearly nine years of discussion and preparation, Animal has finally arrived on stage - raw, intimate and uncompromising. For Saiee Manjrekar, watching her father perform the play was an emotional moment. “It was amazing,” she said. “I have been hearing about this project all my life. It’s his dream project. To see him, at this age, put in so much energy into a one-man show is such a proud moment for me. It’s incredibly inspiring.”
The audience laughed heartily at moments of sharp humour, fell silent during the play’s hard-hitting monologues, and responded with spontaneous applause throughout the performance. By the end of the evening, the theatre erupted into a standing ovation, with Manjrekar taking a moment to thank his entire team. The journey of Animal continues, with the play set to return to the stage on 29th March at the Sophia Bhabha Auditorium in Breach Candy, Mumbai, promising another powerful evening of theatre.
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