Elderly romances seem to be the flavour of the season. Ritesh Batra’s heartwarming, Our Souls at Night starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda has been one of the year’s most loved movies. On similar lines, Salaam Noni Appa, the play based on Twinkle Khanna’s short story in her debut novel The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad showcased how two elderly people in the twilight of their lives fall in love and decide to let go of their inhibitions to be together.
The play is about two sisters Noni and Binnie (played by Lilette Dubey and Jayati Ghosh) who try to punctuate their lives with activity, sisterhood and laughter. When Noni finds love again after widowhood with a younger yoga instructor (played by Darshan Jariwala) she fights her feelings as she fears the judgement, society would indulge at her expense. A life-threatening health issue, however, compels her to realise that societal sanction isn’t necessary for the pursuit of happiness ensuing that she takes control of both her life and feelings.
Through Binnie’s character, elements of hilarity are introduced thanks to her overtly enthusiastic attitude towards life and a committed zeal for action. A serendipitous play, it is greatly helped by the doses of humour and zany one-liners which ensure that the narration isn’t too stifled.
The love track between the elderly pair is warm, engaging and uplifting; through games of Rummy and yoga sessions, their story progress convincingly during the 90 minute performance. Darshan Jariwali as the bumbling elderly suitor who is caught between a bad marriage and feelings for Nonie, is endearing and makes you root for him to succeed in his quest for love.
Lilette Dubey (who directed the play too) is convincing as a woman longing to embrace a relationship but fears being a laughing stock in the community. She straddles a fine line as a woman caught in a curious conundrum of modernity and tradition — one who doesn’t hesitate to drink scotch but would prefer her relationship to be undefined when her hesitant admirer reveals his true feelings.
A tale of loneliness and love, where the play succeeds, is in depicting the plight of the elderly, whose kids have moved away and are seeking company, without showcasing them as helpless or feeble. A stirring account of autumnal romance, Salaam Noni Appa, is a tale well told reminding how companionship and camaraderie make life pleasurable.