The Prithiwallahs

by Shashi Kapoor, Deepa Gahlot

On 15 January 1944, Prithviraj Kapoor, already a film star, realized a long-cherished dream, and Prithvi Theatres was born. Over the next 16 years, Prithviraj Kapoor s repertory toured the country, giving one remarkable performance after Shakuntala (1945), Pathan (1947) and Paisa (1953) among them a total of 2662 performances over 5982 days in 112 places! This was theatre history in the making, as stars were born and legends created. Uzra Mumtaz, her sister, Zohra Segal, Prithviraj s cousins, Premnath, Rajindernath, Sajjan and Mohan Saigal, L.V. Prasad, and the young Kapoors Raj, Shammi and Shashi, made sterling appearances on the Prithvi stage. It remained for Shashi, his wife Jennifer and their children, Kunal and Sanjna, to fulfil Prithviraj s last dream and give Prithvi Theatres a home of its own. On 5 November 1978, the curtain rose on G.P. Deshpande s Uddhwasta Dharmashala, directed by Om Puri, and Prithvi Theatres, the travelling theatre company, was reborn as Prithvi Theatre, the building that has become a landmark in Mumbai. The passion that drove Prithviraj continues to inspire one hallmark performance after another from actors and directors like Naseeruddin Shah, Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Feroz Khan, Dinesh Thakur, Makarand Deshpande and a host of others who form the galaxy of stars in the world of theatre. This book is the story of a theatre that has become a living legend, and the men and women who made it happen.

152 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2008

Reviews

[Bhawana Somaaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are books in your bookshelves which you have read it when it was released and then you had forgotten about it. And then you start cleaning the bookshelf and so many memories just come out. When I looked at this book I remembered when Prithvi theatre was preparing for its silver jubilee year, the preparation for the book, how they organised it, contacting all the people who are featured in the book. All the stories, the back stories, the onstage stories, the fabulous pictures, so much effort was put into it.

The book starts with Papa ji i.e. Prithviraj Kapoor and then it goes on to all the young actors in group picture. There will never be another Prithvi theatre and there will never be Prithviwallahs again. The way they do it, the way they have the theatre it is something we all have grown up on. Let me share a very interesting story. I was following Shashi Kapoor as kind of a young reporter and he would take a lunch break at Juhu at Prithvi Theatre. At that time, it was just barren land. Shashi would call his wife Jeniffer from town, and these architects were there with their plans and he was deciding how the amphitheater is to come about and finally we see the entire structure ready.

I think it was probably in the late 70s or early 80s when Prithvi Theatre restarted because this is what Prithviraj Kapoor had started and Shashi Kapoor was resurrecting Prithvi theatre. The tickets were something like Rs 20 on a weekend or otherwise it was around Rs. 10 or 15 on weekdays. And so many years the discipline of starting on time, not allowing late comers and not reserving seats for anybody be it a superstar or just about anyone has been followed. All these mantras still continue and that is why Prithvi theatre is so special and this book is so special.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

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