Nishu Dikshit’s storytelling show Guchcha is a bunch of memories and learnings
The performative piece is set for its maiden Bengaluru run this weekend
By Reema Gowalla
Actor and theatre practitioner Nishu Dikshit, who was most recently seen in Disney+ Hotstar’s crime investigative thriller series Aakhri Sach, is bringing her performative storytelling show Guchcha — A bunch of original stories to Bengaluru this weekend. Woven with nuggets of nostalgia and her childhood memories, Guchcha is a bouquet of personal stories presented in an anecdotal style.
As an army kid, Nishu has lived in many places across the country — experiencing the ‘rugged landscape of Ghaziabad’, the ‘rain-soaked town of Bagafa’, the ‘bustling chaos of Mumbai’ and the ‘heartwarming tales of friendship in Bengaluru’, among others. The one-hour show intertwines her impressions from all these places and more.
Speaking about how Guchcha is different from other storytelling shows, Nishu told TheatreRoom, “Guchcha is a show of original stories that have been written and performed by me. These are stories that the narrator has experienced. So, I would say it’s 85% facts and 15% fiction. That’s how the stories are structured. We have actually tried to do a little more than one gets to see in a regular storytelling show. There are a series of changes in hairstyle and costume, etc. Meanwhile, you can also see a lot of props strewn across the performance space, which keep coming into play with each story, providing a more immersive experience for the audience. A maximum of 50 people can watch the show at a time, meaning it’s an intimate performance. The Bengaluru shows will also incorporate some lights and music.”
Guchcha comprises eight to nine stories, out of which three are largely prose pieces and the rest are inspired by real-life experiences. “I’m the only one performing on stage, where I take the audience through my life experiences (say from the age of seven to date). So, there are different stories pertaining to the different phases of my life,” she added. Some of these narratives also give a whiff of a struggling actor in Mumbai; how she navigated her way in the city through the pandemic. Nishu had shifted to the ‘city of dreams’ just 15 days before the lockdowns began.
So, what are these stories about? “The first story is called Talabwala Ghar. It’s a story that unfolds in a small town in Tripura, where this girl from Delhi goes thinking that she’s the cool kid, who has everything the local kids haven’t seen yet. There’s a strong childhood lesson hidden there about how materialistic things shouldn’t be the aim of your life. The second story is called Bachche Chai Nahi Peete. It’s about how kids are told not to have tea, and it becomes a fascinating beverage for them, which is often equated with adulthood. Then, there’s Chiffon. It’s the story of an assault that a girl goes through, but how that turns it into one of the strongest memories of her life. This is followed by Kitabein. It’s metaphorizes how setting up your books is like setting up your closet. And then, there are a few quick pieces — Aagaz, which is about second chances in love; Pursuit of Kushi, which is about whether to chase happiness or not; Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh is a sweet lockdown story about one-sided friendship; and Shamru Ki Trick is a story about losing a close friend,” Nishu elaborated.
It isn’t the first time that Nishu is performing in Bengaluru. During her stint in the city, she had acted in plays like The Vagina Monologues and Mad Gravity. On the OTT front, she has been part of series that include Criminal Justice, Mai and Operation MBBS. Meanwhile, Nishu is set to feature in an upcoming Netflix film, where she will portray a sportsperson.
After running shows in Mumbai and Pune, Guchcha — A bunch of original stories is now happening in Bengaluru — with shows taking place at Shoonya — Centre for Art and Somatic Practices on October 6 at 7pm (tickets) and at Lahe Lahe on October 7 at 6.30pm (tickets).
