Feature: CLASS OF 84 - The Longest Running Indian English Plays Of All Times

This past weekend, Mumbaiites were treated to a performance that can be safely called an act for all seasons. I mean, how else would you explain a play that has been running for 15 long years has completed over 350 shows and still receives a house full response every time it is staged.

Class of 84, is a play from theatre house Rage that is a unique tale of friendship that evokes humor, pathos and emotions that strike a chord.

The play that first opened back in 2003 is one of the longest running Indian English plays of all times. It has been staged in India as well as in Malaysia, Oman and UAE. Written and directed by Rahul Da Cunha, the cast includes Rajit Kapur and Shernaz Patel. Perhaps what works for the play is the extremely nostalgic premise that finds a special place in every viewers' heart -- a college reunion.

But just in case you thought, that you are in for a 100 minutes of stories about long lost bonds and lost loves, you would soon discover that there is much more to soak in. The setting is somewhat morbid as seven friends who studied together at an elite Mumbai college, come together after years to attend the funeral of their eighth friend Jojo. As the friends share shock and sadness at the unexpected death of the most popular member of their group, various stories come tumbling out. The friends who are now spread across professions ranging from a film maker to a banker to a socialite soon discover that they each have a secret side to them.

Amidst their stories and the way they reconnect after decades is an oddly satisfying tale that connects the viewer to their own past and perhaps thats the secret behind the plays' continued success.

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