Even on one of the busiest Ganpati visarjan days, the NCPA Experimental Theatre was full on Sunday for the premiere of Jigsaw, Ashvin Gidwani‘s new psychological thriller directed by theatre veteran Bharat Dabholkar.The Hinglish thriller stars Bharat and Damini Chopra, known for Saaho and Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and runs for roughly 80- 90 minutes. Set over a single rain-soaked evening, Jigsaw brings Ranvijay (Dabholkar) face to face with Ayra (Chopra), the troubled wife of a wealthy businessman, inside an isolated house. What begins as casual conversation turns unsettling as buried truths surface. Secrets, betrayals and unexpected connections emerge, and the balance of power keeps shifting, blurring the line between victim and culprit, justice and revenge. The audience is left asking who is hiding something and who is really in control.
A departure for Dabholkar
Dabholkar has written and directed more than 30 plays across comedy, satire and musicals, including the Bottoms Up series, Oh No! Not Again!! and others. He wrote and directed Jigsaw too, and it is his first thriller. He has said he had never attempted the genre before. While writing the script, he found that almost every page brought another twist, which convinced him the material would work well on stage.
Two actors, no place to hide
The play’s most unusual feature is its format. There are no ensemble sequences, dance numbers or frequent set changes. Dabholkar and Chopra are the only two actors and remain on stage almost throughout, so the tension rests on their conversation alone. Dabholkar has described sustaining a play of that length with just two people talking as a major challenge.Chopra, has called the play “one-thrill a minute” and said audiences may think they have worked out what is happening, only to have to rethink their assumptions. Different versions of certain scenes have been rehearsed, so no two performances need feel identical.
Twists that land
On opening night, the play held the room from the first scene to the last. Just as the audience settled on a version of events, another revelation undid it, and the two characters kept swapping the upper hand until the final moments. Laughter, gasps and a long silence before the applause suggested the twists landed exactly as intended.
