Butchered Classic: ‘The Gift of the Magi’ Misfires on Stage
2 min read
Shimla, Jan 10 Ritanjali Hastir
Tanupriya Bhardwaj’s directorial debut with O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi‘, staged at the Gaiety Theatre, turned out to be a painful misrepresentation of a timeless classic. While the original story is revered for its emotional depth and brevity, this adaptation was a glaring example of how poor direction and creative liberties can butcher a masterpiece.
The director’s failure to grasp the essence of the “Magi” is unforgivable. The Magi, representing the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus on Christmas, form the moral and spiritual core of O. Henry’s narrative. By changing the setting to New Year’s, Bharadwaj not only severed this vital connection but also displayed a shocking lack of understanding of the story’s fabric. This misstep was compounded by the inexplicable decision to portray Jim and Della as a generic couple rather than a devout Christian family, further eroding the original’s intent.
The performance was painfully stretched beyond its natural capacity. The excessive use of fadeouts, irrelevant scenes, and the inclusion of a ‘sutradhar‘—a choice that could have been innovative but instead dragged the play into mediocrity—reduced the story’s emotional power. Even legendary singer Pankaj Udhas captured the essence of this tale in his iconic ‘Ahista Kijiye Baatein‘ within five minutes, whereas this production dragged aimlessly for far too long.
The casting choices were equally baffling. Talented actress Vaishnavi was reduced to a ghostly role, breaking the unity of time, action, and space, while the leads struggled to keep the audience engaged. The hair-cutting scene, a pivotal moment in the story, was handled with the subtlety of a sledgehammer—making it appear more like a parody than a heartfelt sacrifice.
In conclusion, this adaptation of ‘The Gift of the Magi‘ was an exercise in how to alienate an audience with poor direction, overextension, and a blatant disregard for the original’s essence. What could have been a concise, spellbinding 30-minute performance turned into a dragged-out, spiritless production.
