When God will say cheers in Sri Lanka

A man sits in a pub, taking digs at religion and other social issues, and his drinking buddy is no other than God himself.

This is the theme of writer and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s stage production When God Said Cheers, which has been running for over four years on the parallel theatre circuit across the country.

Now, the play has the distinction of being staged for a global audience at the ongoing International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

“It was a rare honour for us since religious leaders from all over the world were among the viewers,” says Cyrus Dastur, who plays Man in the play.

The cast, which includes actor Tom Alter as God, was in Colombo for the performance held at the Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel on Friday. “We were invited to be part of the event by the Indian representatives of ICAAP,” adds Dastur.

ICAAP is supported by UNAIDS and several United Nations agencies based in Colombo. It brings together politicians, government officials, medical experts, academics, people living with HIV-AIDS, and community workers to discuss a wide range of issues with regard to the epidemic. It is said to be the biggest-ever conference on medical and health issues to be held in Colombo in recent times.

“We have been invited to use the play as an effective tool in spreading awareness about AIDS. So we are going to Mexico City next year for an AIDS congress to be convened by the UN,” Dastur says.