Fun way to raise funds
Staging a comedy helped augment the dipping corpus of the Delhi Parsi Anjuman
Jassawala said she had seen the play presented by the Behroopiya Entertainers, Delhi, thrice in the last two years and enjoyed every show. Behroopiya is a performing arts centered entertainment company with a repertory of talented actors, writers and directors who provide theater based entertainment in all genres. Run for Your Wife is their most successful high-end production. The cast comprises sales and marketing professionals in software and service companies who come together to practice and perform after working hours.
Feroza Jassawala: Cherished dream
It was Jassawala’s long cherished dream to bring the "world’s longest running and funniest comedy play ever” for an exclusive show for Delhi’s Parsis. When she had approached the DPA to stage the play in the Pirojsha Godrej Cultural Centre, the cost proved a deterrent. "Therefore, I realized I would have to raise funds and sponsorship myself,” states the effervescent activist.
"I began my fund collection drive first, to find sponsorship which would enable me to cover production costs. When my lead sponsor, Pernod Ricard India came on board, followed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as co-sponsor, I knew I had achieved my target. I now began enlisting donors, restricting myself to the Parsi community in and around Delhi and from well-wishers in Madras and Bombay.”
The play on December 5, 2015 had a sell-out crowd of 330 spectators who cheered and laughed all through the 120-minute non-stop performance. The crowning moment was when the entire audience gave the performers a standing ovation.
For the first time, a professionally managed "Nine Hills Bar” counter was set up serving complimentary wines, spirits and cocktails after the show. The attendees also enjoyed the Parsi snacks and delicacies served by Dhun Bagli.
"The core working team for my event comprised the DPA trustees and well-wishers — Veera Mavalwala, Cyrus and Kaenaz Engineer, Cyrus Malia, Dr Niloufer Shroff, Cushrow Jassawala and Deepak Alekar. They worked cohesively to organize every aspect of the event from production co-ordination, sponsor support, donor card sales, auditorium infrastructure, ushering to even car parking. The event was an outstanding success, thanks to their support,” says Jassawala.
"My family was extremely supportive of my decision to garner funds for the Anjuman. My passion and determination was also fuelled by my sister, Jersheen, from Madras. She convinced me to go ahead and rediscover my talent and ability for fund-raising. My husband Cushrow supported my goal and helped execute my vision with his professional expertise. My twin daughters, Simonil and Spenta, aged 16, are my primary in-house support team. Spenta designed and created the Power Point presentation detailing my project to advertisers, sponsors and donors. Simonil took charge of software support and communications. As the date of the play drew closer, they jointly took charge of ticket sales and coordination.”
Jassawala’s efforts were lauded by Kapadia who gave her credit for raising Rs 30 lakhs "almost single handedly” and stated that she, assisted by her husband Cushrow "devoted time and energy not only to organize the play but also to go knocking on door to door to collect the donations.” Referring to Delhi as "the foremost progressive Parsi anjuman in India,” DPA vice president Ava Khullar noted "the staging of the acclaimed play (was) a great fund-raising occasion. While DPA honorary secretary Adil Nargolwala thanked the Jassawalas, joint secretary Mavalwala spoke of the Jassawalas’ "untiring efforts in making (the) program a big success.” Mavalwala also acknowledged "the backstage support given” by the Jassawala daughters Spenta and Simonil.
Childhood in Madras
Feroza’s father, Jamshed Fram Madan, was a chartered accountant and served in ICI India in Calcutta, Bombay and then in Madras. Her mother Suber, a home-maker, was the inspiration for the daughters "to excel in academics and in our careers. Jersheen, who resides in Madras, publishes FUNTIMES At School for children all over India.”
They enjoyed a close rapport with their parents and spent the longest part of their growing years in Madras. "The small Parsi community there has a strong bond of togetherness. Our upbringing was therefore not strictly in Parsi style, though we grew up respecting and following our religious beliefs entirely by choice.”
Feroza earned a university rank in her master’s degree in business economics and was the first recipient of the award for excellence in studies in 1986, presented by the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans in India. "I strongly believe that the power of our prayers, the tenets of the Gathas and the importance of the sudreh and kusti enhance our invincibility in the face of any challenge.This strong belief in our religion is echoed by my husband Cushrow and has percolated down to my daughters who say their prayers and wear their sudreh and kusti with pride every day.” She also contributes articles for Parsiana.
When asked what she plans to do next, Feroza says, "Friends and well-wishers request I bring the Run for Your Wife performance to audiences in other cities. With the producers and performers so supportive, I hope to stage the play in Hyderabad (to raise funds for the Zoroastrian Stree Mandal of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in April), Bangalore, Madras, Calcutta and Bombay, later this year. I would like each performance to benefit the Parsi community in the host city. I will work on procuring sponsorship and advertising support to stage this hilarious play in other cities, beginning with Hyderabad in April 2016. I thus hope to continue to contribute my effort to enhance the Parsi Anjuman corpus or agiary fund of each city.”