A new play draws connections between sports and life

'Tiki Taka' is the latest theatrical offering by Akvarious Productions, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary

- Prachi Sibal

In director Adhaar Khurana's rehearsal room, actors take a break as he sketches on a piece of paper, much like a coach, the "tiki taka" gameplay associated with the Spanish national football team, to help an actor understand the strategy. Khurana wants everyone to be familiar with this gameplay, often criticised for being less progressive than other aggressive strategies. He need not have worried as the majority of the cast plays or loves football. Khurana himself is a football fan and his new play Tiki Taka is one that he has been dreaming of for years. Three months back, he penned a concept note and got writers Adhir Bhat and Bobby Nagra on board.

The script was delivered just three weeks before the rehearsals began in May. For Mumbai-based Akvarious Productions, which is celebrating its 25th year, this is a first-of-a-kind sports play. Though there isn't any real football action happening on stage, the characters of Abhinav and Chaitanya Sharma, brothers and footballers, will be seen throwing the occasional ball around. The play goes beyond the game. Khurana insists it's about life itself, quite like the tiki taka gameplay. "It's a possession-based strategy, where a team retains the ball for as much as 70% of the time. It involves very few attacks," explains Khurana, "though now there are versions wherein you not just retain possession but also move forward," he says.