IAPAR

RIP – Rest In Peace, Enquiring Restlessness in Pieces – Savita Rani (India)

. . .Kyun na mai Shan Shan mai jiyu, Kan Kan mai bikhru? Saundarya ko piyu? Surya toh phir bhi ugega, dhoop toh phir bhi khilegi lekin meri bagichi ki hari hari ubb par oss ki boonde har mausam mai nahi milegi!

Women’s lives are full of blood. But don’t mistake me, women’s lives are full of colours. Collecting subtle pieces of a woman’s life, playwright, director and actor Savita Rani satirically showcased the norms, traditions and rituals which Culture has tied to her.

The play tells story of a woman who is tied to her husband but wants to travel. She tries to convince him to take her along on his work-related trip by designing a performance to show him, using the sindoor in her hair, bindi on her forehead, and her saree and jewellery that Culture has imprisoned her with. The performance within the performance is about making the audience realise the intensity of the ideal that a woman is supposed to look beautiful, made up and inappropriate attire all the time and in all her emotions. But the protagonist wants to wander, grow through it and break the traditional norms.  She wants to free herself and be herself and live on her own terms: For her, by her. She wants to be centre of her life.  Sugarcoating all these pieces and serving them with satire, the performance leaves the audience in a sour state of mind of being caught tolerating and propagating patriarchy.