Woman power unleashed for once

HT City - Friday, October 11, 2002

Lushin Dubey performing `Untitled' play held at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh on Thursday.

DO NOT think about yourself as a proud woman. Think about yourself as a good mother or good wife. Add good daughter, good sis-ter and whatever relationship you can think of and you have the magic potion that will ensure happiness. Thus goes the universal advice handed down to women down the ages. But as 'Oorja entertainment's bilingual play 'Untitled' opened at Tagore Theatre Chandigarh it took the logic on its head. Actually reversed it. So men may relentlessly treat women as kathpulian but here men were puppets. Actually co actors of Lushin Dubey whose brilliant solo performance flitted from one character to another-- with amazing voice control and incredible elastic expressions -as also between two tales. One that of Dario Fo's 'Medea' based on Greek tragedy by Euripides and more predominantly by Rajasthani writer Vijaydan Detha's Nyari Nyari maryada. And the play dwelt on precisely this query -- what is women's maryada.

Ought it be confined within societal dictates as the framed frames part of ingenious set deign-- on the stage indicate. Or dare she break barriers. The play's stance is that she must hit back certainly when it comes to making sexual preferences. But then if sexual assertion is a tool for men to dominate, women too can make a powerful power statement by exercising similar choices. 

But the more important dimension, which possibly gets a little lost in the play is dethroning of men from their position of power. So when rani throws raja's crown, she reaffirms her own supremacy. And interspersed in this power struggle between opposite sexes or rather between women and the system were issues like wife battering, incest. And perhaps in deal-ing with these, the play became too direct, too bold even too brazen. Or perhaps such forbidden subjects need to be brought out with same vengeance, with which they have been brushed under the carpet for too long.

Again many may also not agree with this 'convoluted' -read marital infidelity- vindication of the fairer sex. But good theatre's impact lies in its ability to agitate not in its persuasive power. And this technically right presentation directed exceptionally well by Arvind Gaur with wonderful musical inputs from his other half music director Dr Sangeeta Gaur, created an impact that Chandigarh au-diences acknowledged with a standing ovation.