A scene from the play Photo credit: Special Arrangements

The importance of social media is reflected in Marathi drama, friend request, which serves as the backdrop to depict how four people’s lives are affected by a friend request on Facebook. Written by Prasad Dani and directed by Kumar Sohoni, this 140-minute production stars Marathi actor Ajay Prakar as Madhav Sahasrabhadhe, a man a quarter of his age and CEO of a company. Living alone with two friends (played by Ashish Pawar and Atul Mahajan), Madhav has been divorced for 15 years and longs to meet his daughter. Ajay says, “Madhav’s life changes when a woman (Priyanka Tendulkar) barges into his house one night and insists on staying with him.

Surprises in store

A scene from the play Photo credit: Special Arrangements

An emotionally charged second act of friend request is full of surprises, as the characters reveal their true selves and their perspectives on the events that unfold. The play, which appeals to all generations, focuses on the challenges of interpersonal relationships. “Of late, we see a sharp increase in divorce rates and relationships breaking up due to complex situations in our lives. We examine the impact of divorce on children without judgment and how the characters live their lives. I adapt to complex situations.

Since its debut in Mumbai on January 25 this year, the play has so far had 23 shows including Nashik, Ahmedabad and Pune.

Draw interest

A scene from the play Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Although the title Friend Request was chosen to appeal to the younger generation, that doesn’t mean the name isn’t relatable. “Social media is the backdrop to the story where one deals with ‘to friend or not to friend’ every day. We get such requests not only from relatives and acquaintances but also from complete strangers.

Negative lead

A scene from the play Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Ajay has worked in 15 commercial dramas so far but this is his first as a producer. He is happy to come to Hyderabad for the positive response of his negative character Rayudu in his first Telugu film. Skunda. “I am disciplined and like to work on time with precision. I got the same work environment while shooting, which made it a pleasant experience,” he says, “since Hyderabad has a fairly large Marathi population. Yes, so it will be great to stage the play here.”

A scene from the play Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Getting ready for the stage. friend request After Hyderabad in Mumbai, Ajay hopes the play will cross the 500 performance mark in two years.

Friend Request will be held at Ravinder Bharti on April 13 from 6.30 pm. Tickets priced at ₹200, ₹400, ₹600, ₹800, ₹1000 and ₹1200 are available at bookmyshow.com