Warm Up

All ears for Bijoy Gupta's play reading

As the date for the Club’s Annual Function (December 16) draws close, Bijoy Gupta’s script-reading sessions have become an unexpected crowd puller. It is a welcome diversion from our regular routine – more so, in the absence of anything better to do after the exercises.
Today it was necessary that Nahid Khan be provided some distraction from the family tragedy (ref previous post) that had been occupying her mind. So Gupta plonked himself beside her and began re-reading

Rukhsana Khan (r) gets us sweets from
a recent trip to Ajmer Sharif

his play for her benefit, mainly to extract a smile.
In the process, many others like Siba Prasad Maitra, Rukhsana Khan and Karun Sharma, who were not present during the first reading of the play (ref post of September 23), also got a hang of what to expect at the Annual Function.
Significantly, Gupta has been investing considerable time and energy in the play (tentatively titled Kalyug ke Kalakar), to the extent he is constantly bolstering the script by inviting inputs from his audience at every reading session. He maintains this is work-in-progress and that changes would continue to be incorporated till the play is mounted on December 16.
Meanwhile, work has also begun on other items of the programme, such as group song, ramp show, dances, etc. The rehearsals will be interrupted by the Bangkok Tour (November 1 to 7) and thereafter, it would take time to pick up the threads. Hence the need for this warm-up exercise two months in advance.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Mr Bijoy Gupta is doing a good job to distract attention from yesterday's gloomy mood. We hope that in course of time, things will change and happy days will dawn.

Karun Sharma:
It was awesome listening to Gupta-ji's script. I could see everyone smiling deliciously at the important moments incorporated by the master story teller and narrator.