The Father: Of fading memories and realities

Much has been written and said about patients who suffer from alzheimer and dementia. But what actually goes through the minds of those people who battle these ailments and their loved ones who have to nurture and care for them, even if it takes a toll on their personal lives? French writer Florian Zeller’s play The Father, which has bagged numerous honours including the Moliere award for best play, depicts this in such a way that it leaves you speechless. The 115-minute tragic farce navigates through memory and reality and showcases how a person’s mental condition gradually degenerates while his near and dear ones battle dual emotions of love and hatred. 

Naseeruddin Shah proves once again why he is one of the best actors in the country. Once he comes on stage — and he is in almost every scene — it is hard to take your eyes off him. As the cynical, arrogant, partly annoying, partly endearing Andre, he owns the stage and manages to stir your emotions. Heeba Shah as his daughter Anne evokes empathy and you can relate to her trauma when she is torn between her familial duties and her responsibility towards her father. Faisal Rashid plays her husband Pierre who, on the surface, seems to be loving and caring towards her but doesn’t quite feel the same about Andre. The scene, where his character appears to abuse Andre, shakes you to the core and depicts how a once-strong person can be treated ruthlessly by his family once he loses his acumen.

Zeller has penned the story in such a way that it prompts you to decipher the events, solve the puzzle whether Andre is imagining the events or are they happening in reality and keeps you thinking long after the play is over. Watch the play for the powerhouse performer that is Naseeruddin Shah and for the searing picture of mental dysfunction that it presents.