A still from Y...Me

Y...Me is about a couple in Mumbai trying to watch the Filmfare Awards. WHAT'S ON caught up with director Jitendra Pawar to get the real deal

Niche Stagekraft, one of the most prominent theatre production houses in the city, will stage a comedy, "Yu2026Me" directed by its founder, Jitendra R Pawar. Started seven years ago, it is one of the most active English theatre groups.

Tell us about the play.
Pawar: It is a comedy about a couple who travel to Mumbai to watch the Filmfare awards. They happen to reach separately and that's when things start happening. Ketan wakes up with a hangover, with no memory of the previous night, and discovers a beautiful girl in his bed. He then tries hard to keep his wife away from the strange girl in his bed. They even lose the passes to the award function.u00a0 Ketan also has to battle the local quack while deflecting the advances from the far-too-forward bellhop. It's about the pain and agony the couple goes through the entire day, but it's presented in a humorous manner.

What was the story that motivated you to transform it into a play?
Pawar: I had read two separate stories long back, after which I worked on the script and then mixed the two stories. The first thing that is required, from any story, is the entertainment quotient. The events that happen in the play make it enjoyable. Secondly, the human emotions are very necessary, and the relation that the couple shares including their level of understanding.

How do you work on your production?
Pawar: I start working on a particular play three weeks before it is staged. So far, I have worked with professional actors and it's not difficult to present a play in a short time. For example, in my recent production, there is one actor who is working in Mumbai and the rest are from Pune, with whom I have worked earlier.

Is the Pune audience very limited and choosy?
Pawar: The sad part is that the number of people in the audience is less. But the good part is that they are a loyal crowd. People have been coming to watch my work for the last seven years and they even call up and ask if we are working on a new production. Though the group is small, this has not affected our work. We also maintain high production standards.

At: Nehru Memorial Hall, Camp.
On: January 18, fromu00a0 6.30 pm.
Tickets are priced at Rs 200, Rs 150 and Rs 126.

A still from Y...Me