"UNTITLED"

To be selected by the prestigious Smithsonian Institution for their "Women's history month" showcase performance, is indeed a rare honor for an Indian drama - Arvind Gaur's "Untitled". Lushin Dubey's powerful solo performance in this play is a dazzling display that leaves the audience spellbound. It also amply demonstrates that theater in India is vibrant as ever, and women's issues are discussed with finesse and creativity.

Lushin's familiarity with Shakespeare; her juxtaposing of Greek tragedy with Indian theater; and, her spontaneous portrayal-enable her to make her case on women admirably. Lushin s characters are seamlessly interwoven and she brings each of them to lif e. To take up so serious a question with so much humor and pathos takes a lot of doing! People who quibble about percentages being lop-sided ( Euripides' Media perhaps accounts for 15% and the Rajasthani tale for 85%) miss the point. Women have had to put up with a lot through the ages; the Greek interlude with its "accept it" message only serves to illustrate how dif icult the journey forward has been. The expose in the end sends the message loud and clear- double standards will not be tolerated anymore; honor lies in an honorable partnership between equals.

There has been same debate about the use of English or Hindi for this performance. To be fair to the producers, it is impossible to translate nuances of humor from one language into another. Those familiar with the Hindi language instantly relate to the Hindi version and perhaps notice minor variations in the English adaptation. But this does not detract from the passion and emotion Lushin brings into the English version- to reach out to a wider audience. Her attempt to adapt without missing out on any of the essentials is laudable.


A very important aspect of this production is the interface between the producers and their audience. This helps Lushin and Arvind get good feed back on how their creation has been received, and enables them to "connect" with everyone. These interactions are varied and interesting, and a bonus for those privileged to be part of such a special session.

Sunil Lal
Minister Press Information & Culture
Indian Embassy Washington DC