The language of love is universal, and everyone can understand it, says Milind Pathak
Director and actor Milind Pathak is not only a multifaceted artist committed to Marathi & Hindi theatre and cinema but is also deeply interested in multilingual human stories across all languages. He is thrilled that his teleplay 'White Lilly & Night Rider' will now be seen in Telugu by audiences in Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Especially because this is a universally relevant love story woven around the age-old quest for a lasting human connection.
He elucidates the point further and says, “The language of love is universal, and everyone can understand it. How many people, for instance, know that in 2006, a Kannada love story called 'Mungaru Male' was screened for over one year in a multiplex and was then remade in Telugu, Bengali, Odia, and even Marathi and now 'White Lilly & Night Rider', another love story will break the language barrier!”
When asked just why the premise of 'White Lilly & Night Rider' will appeal to Telugu audiences, he says, “As I said, the play has a universally relatable theme. It is timeless as well as contemporary because it is about dating apps where connections are formed quickly but when reality collides with fantasy, people have to take stock of what kind of a relationship they want. Language is no barrier for such subjects, and anyone who uses social media will easily relate to and understand this play and like it.”
About the relevance of the play, he says, “Can be articulated by the simple fact that he wrote it around 10 years ago and it has struck a chord with the Yahoo generation, the Millennials, and Gen Z.” He adds, “Wherever I have travelled with this play in India and abroad, I have received the same reaction – it's so relatable!”
As a director, Milind is excited by the prospect of working in different languages and says, “I would love to direct plays in Telugu. Theatre has evolved so much that it has become a powerful visual medium, not just a verbal one. I keep watching films and other content from these regions and I feel when you are exposed to diverse perspectives, it enriches you as a person.”
'White Lilly & Night Rider' stars Milind Phatak and Sonali Kulkarni. It was filmed by Swapna Waghmare Joshi and directed for the stage by Milind himself.