‘Jadu Mantar, Chhu Mantar…’ takes a family from everyday quarrels to an unexpected crisis
RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT BUZZ
“Tomorrow” is perhaps the easiest promise we make to the people we love. We put off conversations, apologies, and time together, assuming there will always be more time. In ‘Jadu Mantar, Chhu Mantar…’, a family has only three hours to decide what matters most. Written and directed by Praveen Marathe, the Marathi comedy-drama is being presented by Nadabrahma Sattari and Mardini Production during Ganeshotsav, when families come together.
The story centres around Vasant and Komal who are a married couple, while Mandar and Khushi are newlyweds. Komal, the president of a Mahila Mandal, tries to dominate her husband and advises Khushi to do the same. In response, Vasant and Mandar decide to go on “strike” at home.
Their standoff takes an unexpected turn when a smuggler and a police inspector enter the house. Marathe says, “A family drama can become too serious and preachy. I wanted to keep the audience laughing. The two characters add situational comedy and create an external conflict within the story.”
The play runs for two hours, with the first 90 minutes largely comic, before Mr. Death arrives and tells the family they have only three hours left to live. The deadline forces the characters to confront their relationships and priorities. The play also touches on work, career choices, and differences between spouses.
The title comes from the childhood phrase “Jadu Mantar, Chhu Mantar”, which children used while pretending to make problems disappear through magic. Marathe says, “There is no magic wand to save a family; only love and sacrifice can do that.”
The actors improvised several scenes during rehearsals, while Marathe rewrote the climax three times.
“The transition from comedy to emotion was the biggest challenge for me as a director,” says Marathe, adding that the team also worked on the acting, lighting, background music and costumes to support the change in tone.
Marathe did not hold auditions for the play. Instead, he selected actors he had worked with for years in Sattari’s theatre circuit, based on their ability to handle comedy as well as emotional scenes.
The cast includes Sanket Phadke, Vinayak Bhatprabhu, Nikhil Joshi, Prathamesh Damle, Purva Kharpalkar, Bhumika Jadhav and Marathe. Shiva Bhimannavar and Roshan Rane handle lights and sound, while Soniya Naik is the choreographer.
Nadabrahma Sattari has been active in Goa’s Marathi theatre scene for several years. Marathe says, “We want Marathi theatre in Goa to grow and reach audiences in Mumbai and Pune.”
