Hosi Vasunia

Career

Early life

Hosi Vasunia was the younger son of Hormusji Pirojshaw Vasunia and Amy Hormusji Vasunia (née Amy Pestonji Tata). His older brother was named Bomi.

Hosi was born in Kobe, Japan, into an Indian Parsi family long involved in trade with China and Japan.

Early career

Hosi Vasunia grew up in Mumbai and attended St. Xavier's School and Sydenham College.

Vasunia credited a Spanish Jesuit priest in his school St. Xavier's for introducing him to the theatre. In 1971, Vasunia appeared in Cyrus the Great in a role (Cyrus' commander-in-chief) for which he received the first of many favourable reviews ("excellently portrayed"), in this case by the drama critic of the Times of India.

The play that established Vasunia's arrival on the English stage in Bombay was Ah! Norman (adapted from Norman, Is That You? by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick). Sam Kerawala, who later became a close friend and frequent collaborator, recommended Vasunia to the director Adi Marzban after recalling Vasunia's performance in a play from his Sydenham College days. Marzban cast him in Ah! Norman, and Vasunia's career was launched. That play, first performed in Mumbai in 1972, is "credited with having created a new theatre-going audience in the city". Marzban was an early mentor for Vasunia, who appeared under his direction in several plays. Some years after Vasunia's death, he and Marzban were both remembered in the Hindustan Times as "two iconic Mumbai directors".

Vasunia appeared in Loot, by Joe Orton, in 1971. The play returned to the Mumbai stage, a decade and more later, after the deaths of Amjad and Hosi, in a bilingual English and Hindi version. Imtiaz Khan, Amjad's brother, remained the director across the different versions of the play. Vasunia also collaborated with Burjor Patel, Ruby's husband, and they together co-produced a number of successful plays under the banner "Hosi Vasunia Productions". Their first play was Don't Drink the Water, which was staged in 1979 and based on a script by Woody Allen; the production was directed by Pearl Padamsee.

Although Vasunia was famous for comedy, he was responsible for "serious" theatre including such plays as All the King's Men (in which he was directed by Alyque Padamsee), Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Mass Appeal, Saint Joan, and Agnes of God.

One of Vasunia's last roles was opposite Sabira Merchant in The Rummy Game. The play, directed by Kerawala, was adapted by Bachi Karkaria from D. L. Coburn's Gin Game and was staged in Dubai, London, Antwerp, Düsseldorf, Paris, Chicago, and New York as well as numerous cities in India. The play was revived in 2010 as The Game, with Alyque Padamsee in Vasunia's role.

Film and other work

Vasunia appeared in only a handful of films and preferred the theatre to film. According to Bhawana Somaaya, the editor of Screen, "Yash Chopra had offered him roles in his various films but he didn’t take them up."

In 1989, Vasunia and Ronnie Screwvala founded the Dynasty Culture Club, which offered a range of entertainment such as theatre, cinema, music, and dance. The Club put on regular events for members, who were charged an annual subscription. Vasunia, however, left the venture after some two years. Screwvala also acted alongside Vasunia in several plays and spoke later of Vasunia's "good and tough and resilient side... Whatever the adversity there was always a smile on his face... He had the ability to constantly motivate people".

Reviews

Of his role in Never Too Late (1977), the drama critic of the Times of India wrote, "Hosi Vasunia is dominant as usual . . . A great performance. Don't underrate his talent: despite his sustained tempo and voice power, he is a master of modulation, a thespian of genuine artistic merit, a man with a look that can freeze you or make you roar." In 2001, Merchant and Vasunia were themselves described, by Deepa Gahlot, as "two of the finest talents on the city's English stage".

Legacy and awards

Vasunia was the recipient of numerous tributes on his death. The Afternoon newspaper described him as "an amazing director, producer, and an impresario". Vaswani said, "My comedy career started because Hosi agreed to direct the first play I produced. . . He was genuinely the nicest person in English theatre in Mumbai." Farid Currim remembered him as "one of the most unselfish actors on Mumbai's English theatre circuit" and recalled "the way he'd drive the audience crazy in terms of laughter". Alyque Padamsee spoke about his "joie de vivre, intensity and charisma", while Cyrus Broacha, who was given a career break by Vasunia in the play Brighton Beach Memoirs, said that "he learned to embrace theatre as a community from his mentor". In another appreciation, Somaaya said, "He was special and he knew it. That is why he never played it safe. He always expressed what he felt, without mincing words."

Stage

Actor Princes Cyrus the Great Move Over Mrs The Subject Was Roses My Darling Daughter Never Too Late Cactus Flower Don't Drink the Water Deathtrap A Flea in Her Ear Red Hot Lover of Bombay All the King's Men Mass Appeal Whose Life Is It Anyway? Saint Joan Caught on the Hop Are You Lonesome Tonight? Lend Me a Tenor Biloxi Blues Charley's Aunt Tribute to Busybee Power Play Anything Goes Tempt Me Not (based on Vasant Sabnis' Vichcha Majhi Puri Kara, विच्छा माझी पुरी करा) It Runs in the Family Can't Pay Won't Pay The Verdict Don't Dress for Dinner Begum Sumroo The French Cuckoo (based on An Absolute Turkey, an English version of George Feydeau's Le Dindon)(actor, producer, director) Barefoot in Mumbai (actor and director) Funny Thing Called Love (based on Vasant Kanetkar's Prema, Tujha Rang Kasa?, प्रेमा, तुझा रंग कसा?) Once I Was Young . . . Now I'm Wonderful The Graduate The Rummy Game

Producer Hosi Vasunia was the producer or co-producer of the following plays.

Don't Drink the Water Mass Appeal Whose Life Is It Anyway? Cats Are You Lonesome Tonight? Tribute Last Tango in Heaven Charley's Aunt Power Play Anything Goes The Happy Prince Death and the Maiden It Runs in the Family Steel Magnolias My Fair Lady Don't Dress for Dinner The French Cuckoo Trip the Light Fantastic! The Rummy Game The Sunshine Boys Caught on the Hop The French Cuckoo Barefoot in Mumbai

Filmography Hero Hiralal (1988) Gawaahi (1989) Percy (1989)

Television Zabaan Sambhalke