Saanp Seedhi explores the whole gamut of human emotions and mind

For the third play of the season, Shubhrajyoti Barat helmed Saanp Seedhi, an adaptation of one of the most successful stage thrillers, Sleuth. While Atul Kumar’s thrilling adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time had a great run, and Purva Naresh’s adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's White Nights has been heaping positive reviews, the theatre initiative has received resounding success. Now, Shubhrajyoti Barat, a stellar actor, is all set to don the hat of the director for Saanp Seedhi, an adaptation of one of the most successful stage thrillers, Sleuth.

The larger theme of the season is to adapt literary opuses into theatre productions with an Indian milieu, making it relevant for the Indian audience. To add this element, ‘Mismatched’ director and alumnus of the festival, Akarsh Khurrana, has penned the drama, making the piece more Indian. With Saanp Seedhi, Shubhrajyoti Barat will revive Anthony Schaffer’s masterfully crafted thriller on the stage—elevating its scale and intensity.

The original play, which received a thundering response due to its humour and edge-of-the-seat drama, won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1971 and has since then captivated the audience through three cinematic adaptations. Out of the three, the 1973 film starring Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier won the Academy Award, cementing its stature as the finest thriller. Now, Barat is all set to infuse a new energy into its Indian adaptation, retaining its gripping storytelling.

Sleuth is set in the country house of the main protagonist, a successful fictional writer. He lures his wife’s young lover into his house, which reflects the writer’s elusive personality, both as a writer and a human being. What entails are mind games, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

Saanp Seedhi is Shubhro’s first step towards directing a play of this scale. This two-cast play includes actors Kumud Mishra and Sumeet Vyas, who have successfully made their mark on the celluloid as well as the stage. Set in Goa, a rich, narcissistic, retired filmmaker is seen spending his days with his estranged wife. He invites her young lover, an ambitious architect, to their home before he lets go of his wife. What is entailed in a seeming conversation is a psychological play between two men, a bizarre game of egos, desires, deceit, and much more.
Shubhrajyoti Barat the director of Saanp Seedhi, said, “I have witnessed magic unravel on the stage of Aadyam Theatre and experienced the plays as an audience. It is my debut as a director for Aadyam Theatre and I would not have asked for a better play than Saanp Seedhi. The thing that fascinated me the most about it is that despite its limited logistics, the play explores the whole gamut of human emotions and mind. Saanp Seedhi is an interesting endeavour that I am excited for the Indian audience to witness and be amused by the world it inhabits.”

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