EnFlightenment by Rupesh Tillu at The Park, Hyderabad

EnFlightenment is based on the true events of Rupesh Tillu’s flight journeys in the past nine years. He was born and raised the suburbs of Mumbai. His family moved 18 times in his first 16 years of his life due to labour strikes in the late 80’s around Mumbai. He went to Sweden at the age of 23 with one way flight ticket and 25000 INR ( 4000 SEK) in his pocket to study Theatre for a month, only to return after 9 years, during those years he lived in three bags and moved around in different residences around Stockholm. It was for the first time he sat in a flight when he had left for Sweden, but in the past 9 years he has travelled extensively in 4 continents. He almost got arrested in Poland for carrying Schengen visa, when Poland wasn’t a Schengen state, crossed Israeli border and entered Egypt without a visa, came back to Israel twice on a single entry visa, a person died on the next seat to him in a flight from Brussels to Mumbai, and he was the only Indian living in an underground motel in the Chinatown of the Newyork city. It’s a story of the globalised world, where we all are the by products of it.

It will be a devised piece of physical comedy. Rupesh Tillu will play 30 characters where he wishes to portray interestingly funny people he met and interacted during his journeys abroad. The story will be told through the perspective of the characters he met. Its a story derived by the choices one makes in life and how one has to embrace the consequences. A story about the pursuit and a need to lead life on ones own terms.

Written by: Rupesh Tillu and Roger Westberg

Performed by: Rupesh Tillu

Directed by: Roger Westberg

Rupesh Tillu is an actor, director and independent film-maker, born in Mumbai India. He holds MFA in PhysicalRupesh-Tillu Comedy from The National School of Dramatic Arts, Sweden, a bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics from Mumbai University. He has received several international theatre awards such as Outstanding Artist/Act- Stockholm Fringe Festival 2012, A Special Jury Award-Best of Prague Fringe Festival 2013 and many more. He played the character of Ajay in a feature film Ship of Theseus and also line produced Swedish schedule for the same film, which received several national andinternational awards He has worked with several theatre companies such as Avikal Theatre Company (India), Urban Theatre Company (Sweden), Teater Slava (Sweden), Bananteatern (Sweden). He has done expeditions with Clowns without Borders to Moldova, Palestine, Israel, India, Jordan and Egypt. He is a part of Drömställe – A clown trio, which toured nationally in all renowned theatres of Sweden in 2013. His vocational training includes one year Physical Theatre at Fhsk Vårdinge By. Professional Clown training with Clowns without Borders Sweden. He has also worked for UNESCO Centre for Peace, Frederick M.D, USA. His debut documentary feature film ‘The Living Gods’ is co-produced by the Swedish National Television which premièred at FIFA, Canada in March 2014. . He is the founder and artistic director of Theatreact.

Winner, Stockholm Fringe Festival 2012 – Award for Best Artist/Act

Winner, Best of Prague Fringe Festival 2013 – A Special Jury Award

Nomination, Prague Fringe Festival- Inspiration Award

Special Pick, Amsterdam Fringe 2013 and Rome Fringe 2013