The play tells the story of Sunny and Riri, and their three cousins Imli, Papita & Tarbuz who come to stay with them for the summer vacations from a small town.
If there is one thing which is an integral part of Makarand Deshpande's work, it's his madness. Mak, as he is lovingly called, tells us that when he completed 25 plays, he asked some of his loyal audience whether he was on the right track.
"The response I received was they don't come to watch my plays because of their stories, but because of the madness I bring to them. And that, they were most satisfied with," he laughs.
The madness is very much intact in Makarand's new play for children, titled Imli, Papita & Tarbuz, directed by Tejas and written by Anvay. "I have created a separate wing for children's plays," he informs us, "I want to create playwrights too. I believe Tejas understands stagecraft and emotions well enough to become one of the best directors in the future," he says, adding on his part, he is merely supervising the play.
The play tells the story of Sunny and Riri, and their three cousins Imli, Papita & Tarbuz who come to stay with them for the summer vacations from a small town. The visit spoils Sunny and Riri's plans and they spend the holidays trying their best to ruin their cousins' stay. Butt ultimately, it is their innocense and love that wins Sunny and Riri's hearts.
"It's a play about family bonding and it's going to be a lot of fun for the kids," says Makarand. From the way he talks about the play, it's quite obvious that the actor-director enjoys creating children's plays.
"Absolutely! When you're doing a play for kids, you have to think like them and that's what makes it all the more fun," he says. Makarand is clear that he wants to stay away from doing plays that have preachy storylines.
"We should not force morals down their throat. The most important thing is to involve them. I would love it if every kids feels part of the show," he adds.
The director, who's last play Maa in Transit opened at the Prithvi Theatre Festival in November, wants to make creations which touch people's lives. "Theatre should be a cathartic experience for them. After I did Maa In Transit, someone messaged me saying that this is what I went through after my mother passed away 28 years ago, but after watching the play, I have finally let her go. So, I want to keep making plays where people can connect with them on some real level," he says.
What about the madness? "You can't keep that away from my work!" he laughs. Imli, Papita & Tarbuz is at 12 noon and 4 pm at Prithvi Theatre on January 2.
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 "Makarand Deshpande")
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