Playing with Innocence
ROMESH CHANDER
Hindu, Friday, 27th August 2004, Delhi
Arvind Gaur's "Bitter Chocolate" exposes the sordid saga of child abuse
in the country.
ROMESH CHANDER Reviews the play marked by a sterling performance by
Lushin Dubey.
Theatre
World's presentation directed by Arvind Gaur and sponsored by Council
for Social Development is one of the best solo performances that this
critic has seen on the Indian stage that puts Lushin among a coterie of
five-six top solo artistes in the country.
Real life perspectives
Arvind has selected six stories from Virani's book to underline the different
perspectives of real life victims of CSA, family members, social workers,
lawyers, judges, police officers and paedophiles. Lushin plays 12 different
roles to project these characters and the change over from on role to
the other including the costume change is never more than 25 seconds.
To facilitate the quick change over Arvind's use of video images helps
but more than at the device gives a certain dramatic depth to the scene.
As for instance when we have a 10-year-old Arun's case. One day he picks
up courage whips out the knife he has kept under his pillow and suddenly
brandishes it when his uncle touches him. The sexual abuse stops. Five
years later, Arun is 15 and is sitting before a lit candle, shivering.
He looks afraid, and recalls his uncle standing overhim. "I cannot sleep,
I cannot study". Lushin with her narration shakes your insides.
The change over from video to the stage is smooth with no break in the
continuity or the rhythm. Yet another effective devise for the change
over is Arvind's frequent use of a few lines from different songs beautifully
sung in the background by Sangeeta Gaur without interrupting the flow
or the rhythm of the presentation.
Yet another very strong expose of society's indifference to male paedophiles
was "Otta Sir". A spiritual and yoga guide at a boy's school, Otta violates
boys at his will because no one at school or the parents are bothered
about it. Lushin as Otta Sir was just outstanding and earned a well-deserved
long applause.
Breaking the silence
In another case involving a 12-year-old girl who lodges complaint against
her father who takes her to shady parties where they watch X-rated stuff.
Lushin plays magnificently to project the haranguing advocate who brings
the child to tears. And so it goes on from case to case breaking the silence
around child sexual abuse and thus fulfilling one of the most important
roles of theatre to serve and educate the community without being pedantic.
And this the "Bitter Chocolate" achieves most admirably. The play must
reach out to the people particularly college students, teachers and parents
and of course the general audience for it is excellent theatre in every
sense of the word.