Flying high in the US on success, cheap air tickets

Let me change gears and move to some of my theatre adventures. The year was 1986.

My theatre colleague Dinyar Contractor got a call from one Yogi Shah, an NRI from USA, who wanted to meet us in Mumbai to discuss the staging of one of our plays in America. This was like a dream coming true. I accompanied Dinyar to a five-star hotel in Juhu. The American-Indian Gujjubhai welcomed us, ordered one cup of tea and two empty cups and promptly started the discussion. Soon, the trip was finalised and we raise a toast with tea. “America here we come!”

We selected our super hit comedy Buddha-e-mari-boundry (The old man hits a four), the same play that had regaled our Gujjubhais in East Africa about which I had written earlier in this paper. Dinyar played the old man, expecting a new addition to the family, much to his embarrassment, and much to the delight of his wife, played by my wife Ruby.

A month later we board an Air India flight to New York. We travelled from one city to another — New York, New Jersey, LA, San Fransisco, New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando, Pennsylvania, Kansas City — and even to smaller places like Chattanooga. Sometimes the shows were hosted in proper theatres with a seating capacity of 700-1000. Other times we had to make do with small school halls where fitting the set was an arduous task. Regardless of the venue, audiences gave us standing ovations. At a small school hall in New Orleans, the viewers were so delighted with our performance that they insisted on helping us with the dismantling of the set at the end of the show.

We travelled only by air. During those days Delta Airlines was offering free travel for three months to any destination within the US for just US $499. On our rest days some of us would go around town shopping or sitting at cafes and enjoying the goodies. My favourite was Dunkin’ Donuts. Twenty five years later, the taste of their plain baked doughnut still lingers in my mouth. Neither Dubai nor Mumbai could offer me that taste. Others in our troupe, taking full advantage of the free travel, would take a flight to a nearby destination and return — largely to binge on the tasty snacks and free drinks served inflight!

Our host stayed in New Jersey. New Jersey being close to New York, one evening my wife and I decided to venture out to see a play on Broadway. We took a bus and then a train to New York. We saw a delightful two-artist play called Two for the Seesaw, a bitter-sweet joy ride about a girl from Bronx whose love for a married lonesome lawyer brings a few months of happiness in their lives. It was almost midnight by the time we reached the station for our return journey. We were a bit scared watching tall African-Americans hanging around railway stations, some of them strumming away their guitars, others staring at you as you pass by.

Next time I’ll take you to some magical, some hilarious moments of our month-long journey. Meanwhile, enjoy the magical moments dished out by Chris Gayle and company at the IPL.

The author is a well-known stage personality