If I am right…and I could be wrong…it was Shirin Bhat’s parents who were in the front row yesterday at Lamakaan. And if you wanted an honest opinion about what they thought of the play/s, one look at them would have been enough. Theirs’ was an expression that combined tears of joy and smiles of pride with the bliss of relief in a way no actor can.

Because without any hesitation let me tell you that the script was in a class of its own. Without giving any allowances for Shirin’s age, her experience, whatever…it was a good script…full stop! Sure it could have been better, but so could Hussain or Michelangelo.

More than the script the sweet little, innovative little interpretations and interventions…young men with placards…some tall, some short…splitting the stage into a wish list and a current affairs section…reserving the ‘punch’ dialogs for the end monologue…I liked the casual flow.

From a typical middle class family trying hard to be progressive when it came to encouraging a daughter to ‘settle down’…to a young professional trying to convince his uninterested wife into pregnancy…being pitted against a couple who in almost real time were changing nappies and warming the feeding bottles.

The play also gave us a real indication of what Sachin Tendulkar is being reduced to after he retired. He is now fodder for marital arguments, an ice breaker for strangers and what have you.

The last segment had this stylish young woman in svelte black swinging from the ‘ooh I am so cool’ stage to ‘damn, I am being ill treated’ to ‘fuck you, I’m not going to take this shit’ phases with amazing ease.

Keshav Deepak on lights was like a musician playing with the dimmerstat and the way he adapted to the setting sun showed his mastery of lighting control to a wonderful extent.

I loved the way the entire cast did away with mikes…lapel, ground or whatever…the projection was clear and natural. And just right for the audience at Lamakaan.

And as far as acting goes everyone did their job with ease and elan. But one guy stood out…Atul Rastogi I think was his name…

Rahul Reddy, the director has to be commended for a job well done…but I must ask why it was necessary to have him (or any male) read out the girl’s diary…if there was a note of discord…it was this. But all is forgiven for Daddy’s Little Girl

The other thing that was proven beyond doubt was that Shirin Bhat is a serious contender for the ‘World’s Fastest Dress Change Artist’ title…and she may win it pants down…