Five Point Someone

Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone
Directed by : Nikhila Kesavan
Performed at : Rangashankara , April 13th , 2008
A Madras Players production presented by Evam

This Sunday , I watched Five Point someone at Rangashankara . The audi was completely packed with many of them were scurrying around for tickets till the last minute . The play was not advertised and Evam relied merely on word of mouth and their database to get in their crowds . It does really reflect well for the group and their ability to attract audiences.
I had read the book , a while back . Didn't particularly think highly of the book . I guess my college life was too close and personal, that the book didn't seem to do much justice in portraying the fun and magic of those years and came across as a cliched exercise . Will not delve too much into the synopsis of the pay , since almost everyone i know has read the book. Very simply put, its the travails of three IITians in the four years they spend in college and end up with a 5 point something grade .

Now the play in itself was a good adaptation . The best part was the chemistry between the three main characters ( Alok , Hari and Ryan ) . Alok played by Sarvesh was the pick of the lot , Hari was endearing , while Praveen conveyed the cool , rebellious attitude of Ryan well . Uttara as Neha also stood out in the male dominated play and the professors were the perfect nightmare of any student . The way the professors addressed the audience as their classroom was interesting and the minimal use of props and sets ensured that our attention didn't waver from the characters on stage . The play was a little too long and could have been shortened.

Ok , this is where i would differ from most of the members in the audience . The play literally had the audience in splits and the laughter levels often reached a crescendo . I didn't find the play all that funny and often found myself squirming and shifting uneasily in my seat in midst of the peals of laughter . While , the actors in themselves did a good job , the play could have been a lot tighter. The lights were merely functional and the music baring the opening Floyd track, didn't not register at all .

Overall , a decent attempt worthy of a more muted praise and response ,
but I am in a minority .