A Patchwork Quilt – by Sai Paranjpye

I have always been fascinated by theatre –the plot, sets, costumes, lighting and of course, acting. So, when I saw this memoir by Sai, I immediately checked it out. And I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed.

Sure, Sai does not lay out her life’s story in a neat chronological fashion. She cannot remember exact dates or years, she confesses candidly. But that does not take anything away from the narrative. We get to read about her childhood, her days in NSD and All India Radio, the plays she wrote and directed for children and adults, the documentaries that she directed, her stint with Doordarshan and CFSI and her film career. She tells us about the people she worked with, the hardships and the triumphs. We come to know about how a play gets written, directed and produced. We are treated to interesting anecdotes about people we have been seeing for years on TV and on the celluloid screen. All this with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor. The memoir is a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in plays and movies.

I smiled when I came across references to the movies – Jadoo Ka Shankh and Sikandar. These movies had been screened at our school. And I had loved them😊

I am ashamed to say that I have not watched a single one of Sai’s movies. But I am determined to watch at least the light-hearted ones. I especially want to see her movie Papeeha as forest conservation is another subject close to my heart.

I only wish that I had read the original memoir in Marathi, instead of its English translation.