Review: CHOR KI DADHI MEIN TINKA at Cubberley Theatre

Russian writer Nikolai Gogol’s play The Government Inspector caused quite the stir in the 1840’s with its biting satire on political corruption in a small rural town. For Naatak theatre group’s 116th production, Harish Agastya has transposed the action to Gujarat, India and the city of Anand, where greed and bureaucratic ineptness have become an art form. Chor Ki Dadhi Mein Tinka literally translates to a twig in the thief’s beard, indicating a telltale sign of someone’s guilt or hypocrisy. With an excellent ensemble cast and brisk direction by Anitha Dixit, Naatak’s all-Hindi speaking production is a comic gem that transcends cultures.

The main plot follows the government officials scrambling to cover up their follies when a suspected fraud investigator is set to arrive. Fearful of discovery, they will go to outlandish means to protect their fiefdom. When the penniless Pyare comes to town to hide out from a gangster’s goons, he’s mistaken for the CBI investigator and treated to all manner of luxury, bribes, and romantic attentions.

Agastya uses the Gogol story as a jumping off point, adding in a subplot to explain why Pyare is hiding out in Anand. The cast is so diligent in making the actions so natural that the odiousness of their actions becomes second nature. The heads of all the major departments are very aware of their individual dishonesties- one stating that “our corruption is under control”. Excuses for their incompetence abound – a missing bridge or two is expected when you build ten, and potholes are built into a new highway. Hospital rooms where empty are rented out to Airbnb, and the funds allocated for a new Xray machine are misspent on video games.

Vineet Mishra’s Pyare,  the fraudulent inspector, is a joy to watch as he assumes the mistaken identity gladly. Lavished with gifts and money, he creates a resume including friendship with the Prime Minister, a Lamborghini, Bollywood links, and a PhD. Like all good Shakespearean clowns, he morphs into the mistaken identity trope seamlessly.

Comedy abounds here with a weak and bumbling Police Chief (Aditya Mahajan) who’s always ready to resign, a Judge (Namita Vakil) who only takes chickens as her payments, the Hospital administrator (Jay Ruparel) who pimps his patients out to the jail, and Sanjeev Redkar in a hilarious turn as one of the gangster’s goons out to kill Pyare. The entire cast shines, as does the direction and set design.

With the current regime fleecing the nation like pirates, the message of Chor Ki Dadhi Mein Tinka, with its absence of any sympathetic characters, becomes a prescient cautionary expose wrapped in a delicious screwball comedy.

Chor Ki Dadhi Mein Tinka continues through November 23rd. For tickets go to naatak.org. In Hindi with English subgtitles.

Photo credits: Kyle Adler