Mumbai:
The Prithvi Festival is back this year with additions to its earlier avatar. It kicked off on Saturday and veteran actor Shashi Kapoor, who started Prithvi Theatre, was present at the occasion.
For the past two years the festival had been called off for various reasons. Last year the theatre was under renovation.
Kunal Kapoor, the new Festival Director who took over the reins from his sister Sanjana Kapoor told NDTV, "In 2010 we did a tour of Complicity's Disappearing Number. That was a huge production and a very expensive production. We did a lot of shows in Bombay and then we took it to Hyderabad. And that really exhausted the Prithvi team."
"It also exhausted our sponsors as it was expensive. Now Sanjana's absence means that I have to put in a lot more effort than I did in the last few years. But it's not that we have not done it before", he said.
The festival's first play was Motley's "A Walk in the Woods" adapted in an Indian context.
Actor Randeep Hooda who made his writing debut with the adaptation of Lee Blessing's play on Soviet-US relations said, "It was about USA and USSR during the Cold War and when I read it I felt it could be adapted to an India-Pakistan situation. Most of the humour still comes from Lee blessing who has written it. I have just given it a context out of common sense."
Naseeruddin Shah, who has been a regular at the Prithvi Festival said "It is always wonderful to come back to Prithvi. And I have this time not been away so long. Last year we did not have a festival which is a bit of a sad thing but Kudos to Kunal, for this year organising it again. It is not an easy job getting together such large number of plays and what is so wonderful is there is such a body of work to choose from".
Naseeruddin Shah's wife Ratna Pathak made her directorial debut with the play.
Newly-weds Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor were present too.
Saif said, "It was an amazing experience and I was actually very happy to be here. I remember Shashi uncle being so proud of Prithvi Theatre."
Kareena added, "I am really proud to be a part of a family that is so creative. Whether its films, whether its theatre, whether its dance I just feel proud today to be a Kapoor."
Others who attended the first day of the festival were Soha Ali Khan, Dia Mirza and Lilette Dubey.
Dia Mirza told reporters "Prithvi is the altar for creative minds in this city."
Soha Ali Khan added she was looking forward to the other performances throughout the festival.
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi when quizzed about her connection to Prithvi Theatre said, "Prithvi Theatre for me, well I have had such a deep and personal connection with it because I was here when the first brick was laid. We stay just next door. My mother has worked with Prithviraj Kapoor and I have worked Shashi Kapoor. Our children have worked together. So there is a very close bond and Prithvi Theatre has become the most definitive place for art, not only her in Mumbai but also across India."