Memories and nostalgia make for odd bed fellows when they are accompanied by an undying yearning for a place that only exists in the bottom left corner of one’s heart. That is exactly the sense you get when you submerge yourself in the sea of emotions that is Prayas’ newest production, Dhaba on Devon Ave, a play by Madhuri Shekar, and directed by Sananda Chatterjee. 

On the surface, Dhaba on Devon Ave comes across like another story about the struggles of being an immigrant. Living in a land far far away from your own; of building a life up from scratch, of carving a niche in a space that doesn’t necessarily welcome your presence. A story about creating a community and preserving a community, however, it is much more than just being all of these things. 

This play is a rather adventurous road trip with multiple interesting stops along the way. 

Shekhar and Chatterjee together create these relatable characters that you and I can see ourselves in. They resonate with the audience because we can see our mothers, our uncles, our sisters, and our extended communities in them. 

As a viewer, what stood out for me was how that small kitchen of the Dhaba Canteen that withstood the test of time for 30 long years, breathed purpose into Pooja Madhwani’s life, how it’s a  rather bittersweet memory for her daughters Rita and Sindhu who can’t seem to get away from it, but often crave the comfort it brings them; after all it is the only thing keeping them close to their late father, the reason why the Dhaba exists in the first place. 

This is what’s funny about living in a constant limbo, it’s like floating in the air. You can see the ground but you can’t touch it. 

The Dhaba Canteen is that limbo the characters constantly live in. For the mum, Pooja, it’s her safe space, her reminder that Neeraj is still with her, that she’s somehow still connected to her community, that she’s keeping her love’s legacy alive; she wishes to fulfil this responsibility until her last breath. 

Her daughters on the other hand keep getting sucked back into it every time they try to break free, after all, getting to the ground takes a while when you’ve been floating in the air all your life. 

Eventually though, for a safe, long and enjoyable trip, one needs to ensure that they car is working fine and the roads are free of too many barriers and stops. 

The only way for the Madhwani family to move forward is to let go regardless of how they feel about the Dhaba Canteen. It is only human to evolve, how else are you meant to grow?

This is the destination that the characters are looking to get to. It’s the last stop on their adventurous road trip. It’s where the Dhaba Canteen finally gets to rest, enjoy the slumber and push the baby birds out of the nest. 

Dhaba on Devon Ave sends the audience away with a yearning for a place that only exists in the bottom left corner of their heart, but it also teaches them one very important lesson – don’t let your memories and nostalgia pull you back, keep them safe, in your heart, to look back on when you need comfort and warmth. Look ahead, keep driving until you reach your destination, keep flying and don’t be afraid to touch the ground. There are multiple lessons that you will learn along the way, they are meant to help you grow and evolve, because eventually that’s the essence of being human.

– Shreya Bakshi