By Arindam Ganguly
Bhubaneswar: Theatre lovers in the city were treated to an evening of laughter as the Hindi comedy ‘Last Over’ was staged at the Railway Auditorium in Bhubaneswar Friday. Blending cricket fever, family relationships and social prejudices, the play offered a humorous take on the shared passion for cricket in India and Pakistan.
Organised by Zain Foundation Trust (ZFT) as part of its annual fundraising initiative to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the two-hour show, written by Abhishek Pattnaik and directed by Suketu Shah, was produced by Coconut Theatre.
Set against the backdrop of an India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in London, the story revolves around newlyweds Sunny Arora, an Indian, and Zubaina Kazmi, a Pakistani, who have secretly tied the knot. Their secret is threatened when their cricket-obsessed fathers arrive unannounced at their London home, hoping to secure tickets to the sold-out match.
What follows is a series of comic situations as the fathers’ traditional outlook, religious prejudices and obsession with cricket collide with the reality of their children’s relationship.
Veteran actors Rakesh Bedi and Ananth Mahadevan portrayed the fathers, Jasjit Arora and Nazir Kazmi, respectively. Pattnaik played Sunny, while Gunjan Malhotra essayed Zubaina. Zachary Coffin and Yashaswee Gandhi were also part of the ensemble.
Speaking to Orissa POST, Pattnaik said his own experience of playing cricket inspired the storyline.
“I used to play cricket, and the thought struck me: why not combine the game with a family-oriented storyline? That is how the idea of Last Over took shape,” he said.
Mahadevan described playing his character as great fun and praised Pattnaik’s writing. He also lauded ZFT’s efforts to support children with autism.
Bedi said the play gave him an opportunity to portray an ardent Indian cricket fan. “In the play, we have tried to portray the immense love and passion for cricket that people in both countries share,” he said.
Speaking ahead of the performance, ZFT chief trustee Gargi Bhattacharya said the annual fundraising event had been running for nearly a decade, with public encouragement and support keeping the initiative going.
“Every contribution raised through this event goes towards promoting autism awareness and supporting the welfare of people with autism,” she said. She added that the foundation hoped to use the event to raise both awareness and funds, while working towards establishing the first residential facility for people with autism.
The foundation has also launched PECS Café, an initiative to train young adults with autism in essential social and communication skills through the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Orissa POST and Dharitri are the print media partners for the event.