Have movies been made from plays before? Oh sure, too many times.

History is full of theatrical productions that were adapted for screen. And most of the Indian screen stories are based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata in any case.

Dramatic Circle Hyderabad video recorded its plays in the 1990s. The American Studies & Research Centre (ASRC) or the Osmania University I know was involved in the filming of the Zero Sum Game, a short story written by my friend Bibhas Sen even before that.

We had ourselves put up Sleuth, a play that went on to become a landmark film.

So the Cineplay evening was nothing unique. And considering the fact that it was based on “The Interview”, a play I had seen more than just once as part of my Hindu Metroplus Theatre Fest hosting at Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, the story was no surprise.

So why did I go? Well, I was I must admit, expecting a revelation. Instead I got a stylishly repackaged version of Bombay Slick.

The set was brilliant. While it retained the nuances of the original multi-level, mono-chromatic performance space, it also integrated a glass cage innovation that allowed the film maker a lot of reflective possibilities.

The acting performances were picture perfect and I must complement the actors who put on a seamless show. Nowhere did we get the feeling that this was actually a film shot in parts. The impression created was that this was a stage play that had been captured live.

But applause for the finesse apart, did the format excite me? Not really. As a new medium it lacks the spontaneity of theatre. And as a basic documentation of stage, it is a tad overdone.

I missed the uncertainty of volume and clarity that is a wonderful side of theatre. I missed the made up good looks of Cinema. So I didn’t get the best of both maadhyams.

But I saw the medium fighting at least one or two problems. Actors who complain that learning lines is difficult, need not fear this medium. Producers who lament about the lack of performance space need realise that venues that can project films are many more and can be used to fill in the blanks.

The YouTube monetisation in this case may not be a very viable option. I would look however at Vernacular and Original English Theatre to be the beneficiaries of this method of presentation...especially when it comes to an international audience who may indeed welcome this initiative.

At the end of it, it may be the beginning of a new genre of short films. But let’s wait and watch...

The curtains haven’t come down on this show yet.