Zindagi 50-50 A must Play to watch

Zindagi 50-50

A must Play to watch

By Poonam Naik

March is a wonderful time to watch a local theatrical production. Indian Women Empower - IWE and the Community Migrant Resource Centre - CMRC bring to you Zindagi 5050, an entertaining play to be performed on 24th and 25th March 2022 at the Riverside Theatres, Parramatta. Set against the backdrop of a wedding, Zindagi 5050, traverses startling revelations, buried over the years, to create shock waves that make you laugh at the absurdity of the unfolding situations, yet take stock of your own life, and recognize that often what seems simple, clear and small, is just the tip of an iceberg that you had no idea about.

Through the twists and turns, the highs and lows, past wounds, and present blows, will this family sink into the morass of painful memories? Or will hope return? To survive is not the same as to heal. That needs trust, sharing, acceptance and humour. Hard to find, critical to survive. Zindagi 50-50 invites you to laugh through the serious affair. Created by Crescendo Theatre and Films, the play has a stellar cast and production crew. Everyone deserves a healthy relationship. Love should always be safe. Becoming a victim is not a choice, becoming a survivor is. All proceeds go towards funding the projects.

to Sydney an entertaining and thoughtprovoking play about families and secrets Zindagi 50-50 and revelations. Poornima Menon is a Sydney based theatre artist, a student of Crescendo Theatre and Films, who has acted in a short film. She believes in “living and loving life to the fullest and what better way to do it than through theatre”. I have also acted in a short film called ‘Maasi’.

The direction and the cast are all local. The director is extremely versatile and talented, Jyotsna Sharma, a theatre professional with more than 17 years of experience performing all over the world. She had worked with some of the biggest names in Indian theatre and film, such as Mita Vashist, Aamir Raza Husain, Sohaila Kapur, Dolly Ahluwalia Tewari and in Sydney has acted in multiple projects, directed 3 major productions, and runs her own acting academy. She has won many awards and felicitations in Australia and India. With Zindagi 50-50, Jyotsna has collaborated with playwright, Smita Bharti and a stellar cast to bring

Shikha Arora is a self-confessed drama queen, exploring theatre and its art in its every form. She has played the lead in a recent production and has performed in many plays over the years. I recently acted in short film Aftermath which touched many hearts. I have acted in other short films too. I also played a lead role in one of her short plays, Men are from Venus and Women are from Mars.

Akanksha Srivastava’s passion lies in theatre and performances. Some of the highlights of my journey so far have been playing an important character in ensemble production ‘In Farce’ by Alexandra Davies which won people’s choice at Short+Sweet Sydney. I also played one if the leads in ‘Shaadi ka laddoo’ directed by Vipul Vyas.

Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh made his acting debut at the age of 9, then continued to pursue his passion by acting, writing, and directing plays. Radio, theatre, and films surround Taufeeq’s life, and he has performed in many successful productions in India and Australia, including works by Shakespeare, Broadway hits and Indian and Australian playwrights. Taufeeq has produced, directed, and mentored local and global projects and is a weekly radio presenter on Kehte Sunte on 89.3 2GLF FM.

Ashutosh Jain is an actor, singer and music director who has acted in many web series and short films. He is an allround performer and is passionate about his craft. A runner up in a music reality show in India, he has learnt music from a very young age.

Don’t forget to book your tickets for this entertaining production!

Wishing you a Happy Holi

On behalf of the City of Parramatta, I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone celebrating Holi festival.

May your life be filled with the vibrant colours of love, happiness and joy. I look forward to welcoming you to our City to celebrate this special occasion with your family and friends, exploring all that Parramatta has to offer.

Cr Donna Davis Lord Mayor City of Parramatta

126 Church Street, Parramatta | PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124 P 02 9806 5050 E council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au