Murder at the Mann House: Treachery, Insanity and a Ghastly Past

Long before the word ‘gaslight’ was introduced to the uninitiated through social media, British playwright Patrick Hamilton had beautifully exemplified it through his eponymous play set in London. The thriller revolving around deceit, trickery, and psychological manipulation, was subsequently adapted into two movies of the same name that are considered classics in cinema. On Thursday, Andhere Roshni Ke, a Hindi adaptation of the play originally written in 1938, was staged at Jaipur’s Jawahar Kala Kendra in a production by Gandharv Theatre. 

Most of us are here because of our love for theatre. Members of the cast include retired professionals and some real-life policemen. The appreciation of our audience motivates us to come back on the stage each time.

Saurabh Srivastava

Manjeet Mann has just bought a bungalow in Shimla with money from his wife’s first husband. Despite the offer of taking her to her favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan’s upcoming shows in the city, he comes across as a domineering husband set to mend her ways. Constantly reminding Mrs Mann of her deceased mother who spent her last days in an asylum, he often makes her question her sanity. Pictures, gifts, and belongings are missing, of which Mrs Mann has no memory. Some are retrieved by Mann or one of the maids, and some are never found and the accusation rests on the wife.

While her husband is away, Mrs Mann hears banging and scratching sounds on the building’s third floor which has been sealed by Mann. He rebukes and even punishes her for the lapses, despite her pleas for sympathy in case she is losing her sanity for real. The plot, however, is not as simple as it seems. While the director leaves cues for the audience to question Mann’s ways, the tale takes an interesting turn with the entry of private investigator VK Singhal. Informed by his mole, the maid Sanju who works in the Mann household, Singhal tells Mrs Mann that her husband could be a murderer.

The plot unfolds gradually and is brought full circle with a disclosure about Mann’s past and his association with the Shimla house. The director leaves breadcrumbs throughout the play that hint at his evil ways, yet takes the audience back and forth with the wife’s moments of self-doubt. The flickering of lights is used as an effective tool to convey the protagonist’s misgivings. The script seems stretched in certain scenes but makes for an entertaining show in totality.

Saurabh Srivastava, the play’s translator and director, is convincing as the conniving husband. Seasoned theatre and film actor Vinod Soni sets the stage alive with his performance as the private investigator. Through a simple set that stays put through the 1.5-hour-long staging, the play recreates the Shimla home of the Manns, complete with a fireplace. 

Staged at JKK’s Rangayan Auditorium, the play was presented by the VK Poddar Foundation and saw a full house. Members of the audience included well-known faces from the city, including hosts Kamla Poddar and Abhishek Poddar, social entrepreneur Sudhir Mathur, poet Abhishek Mishra, and others.