uasar Thakore Padamsee and Raell Padamsee are not your conventional bhai-behen ki jodi. While they both have the same father, the late thespian and ad-man Alyque Padamsee, Raell’s mother was late theatre veteran Pearl Padamsee and Quasar is Alyque’s son from his second wife, theatre artiste Dolly Thakore. With the entire family steeped into theatre, it was natural for the children to follow suit and today Raell, founder of Ace Productions, and Quasar, co-founder of QTP, are names to reckon with in the field. Their sensibilities, however, are as different as chalk and cheese! The siblings got candid with Cinema Journal on their unique bond, what Raksha Bandhan means to them and their appreciation for each other’s work.
Bonds that bind
Growing up separately under different roofs, Raell and Quasar do not have any childhood memories of playing games together or doing any of the stuff that regular siblings do. As Raell shares, it was only much later in life that they grew close as a combined family where they celebrated birthdays and special occasions.
Quasar recalls being a gawky 14-year-old when he had his first ‘real meeting’ with Raell who is 16 years senior to him in age. “I had gone to watch a play that she was in at the Nehru Centre and as you do in theatre, we went backstage later to meet the performers. She hugged me warmly. It was a hug and a cling,” he smiles at the memory. It was pretty soon after that meeting, as he recalls, that they started celebrating the festival of Raksha Bandhan. And in some strange way, he believes, the festival has come to symbolise the unique bond that the two share.
“We are close in a way that is unique to us. For me, Rakhi is not a bond about beauty, but of choice, and I find that far stronger. Rakhi is a reminder that in spite of no shared childhood, we have made an active choice to be together and that, I think, is lovely. It’s about saying that we are there for each other,” says the 43-year-old, adding that he would miss it if Raell’s rakhi didn’t arrive on time along with a box of brownies and a little yellow note. “She doesn’t even have to tie it; it just has to arrive!” he laughs.
Different takes
While Raell started her own production company Ace Productions, her brother is the co-founder of Q Theatre Productions (QTP). The difference in their sensibilities and approach to theatre is summed up by the latter when he says, “We come from different schools of thought in terms of the way we interpret the world. Raell has a great ability to elevate something from simple to large and my whole thrust is the opposite of that. I am trying to make it less large,” he elaborates, giving credit to all four parents — Alyque, Pearl, Dolly and Sharon Prabhakar — for never imposing their style of theatre on any of their children.
Although Quasar does recall being an assistant director in a play helmed by their father and produced by Raell while he was still in college, the duo has not worked together professionally. However, that certainly does not stop them from watching each other’s productions and appreciating them. “I enjoy the intimacy, the unconventional setting, and production design of a lot of his plays. Again, his choice of plays is very unconventional,” shares Raell.
Quasar, too, enjoys watching Raell’s plays, even though he points out that he might not necessarily agree with them at all times. “I think one of the advantages of having different points of view is that none of us are into the habit of giving each other insincere compliments,” he adds.
So, he might suggest something to her that he feels will work better or she might give him suggestions on how to elevate a particular moment in his play. Raell turns to him mostly for advice on the tech front. “Also, perhaps when it comes to problem-solving and production nitty-gritty like licenses, rates, new rules, etc,” she adds.
Mutual fan club
Both Raell and Quasar have made a name for themselves in the field of theatre, with their productions winning hearts and accolades over the years. Naturally, they are proud of what the other has accomplished and do not shy away from expressing their appreciation for their sibling. Raell beams as she says, “I’m proud of his work. He has been mobilising the youth for over 20 years across the country and beyond, thereby contributing to so many next-gen theatre enthusiasts and practitioners.”
On his part, Quasar admits he has begun to appreciate his elder sibling’s achievements over time. “I didn’t appreciate it as much when I was younger, partly because I didn’t have the perspective. However, today gender is so much a part of our conversations and world, that I realise that to be a woman leader within the fraternity is remarkable. What Raell has been able to achieve as a woman producer in India in an environment that is hard to work in, is something I have true respect for. I appreciate it more now than I did 15 years ago,” he signs off.
