A demonic act in the capital on December 16, 2012 jolted an entire nation. While an entire generation was mourning the girl’s rape or condemning it, two women, equally affected by it, in different parts of the world, were teaming up to speak up for her. International playwright Yael Farber and Indian theatre actor Poorna Jagannathan believed that the girl’s story deserved to be retold and relived before it freezes in memories and headlines.
Hence the two got together to put out Nirbhaya the play, which after premiering at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year and winning the International Amnesty Award, is finally headed home. After their first show in Mumbai, the team will head to Delhi and Bengaluru later this month.
What took so long, we ask. “We got to India as soon as we could. We had to crowd-fund for the play to get here and piggyback it onto another run to keep costs down. We also had to work hard to get other partners on board so we could do a three-city tour,” says Poorna, who got in touch with Yael after watching one of her plays.
The play is based on the true incident of the Delhi gangrape and how the death of a young woman affected countless individuals including five women in the cast of this show (all survivors of sexual violence), who tell their own stories as a way of breaking their silence.
As to what manifested the angst into a creative piece of work, Yael says, “When Poorna saw (via Facebook) how affected I was by the victim’s death, we began to chat. She said, ‘Women are ready to speak here in India in the wake of her death. The silence is coming apart and we yearn to speak. Come and make a new work that enables us to do that’. Making a play about this is a way to believe that a brutal death like hers does not have to be in vain; it can be the catalyst for change.”
Yael says, “The victim’s death was for many, a point of no return. But we know that the flames of righteous rage can burn out quickly. The play is an invitation to witness these performers tell the victim’s story and honour her by breaking their silence thereby inspiring you to break yours.”
Yael admits that writing the play was difficult since one had to make sure that the victim’s privacy is not invaded more than the act already did. “Neither do I mean to sensationalise what is so abhorrent, while still making sure that we leave no uncertainty about the brutality of the act. Let’s be clear what is called ‘eve-teasing’ is harassment and assault. What is called ‘domestic dispute’ is domestic violence and what is called ‘aggressive sex’ is rape if it is not consensual.”
Poorna hopes too, that it will bring about a shift in the mindset of the people. She says, “To be very honest, we created the play for this moment, to be with Indian audiences and have them experience this play here; we are so proud to be on our home turf.”
