Internationally acclaimed play Nirbhaya, inspired by the horrific gang rape in Delhi, has finally made its way to India. The play which has survivors of sexual violence speaking of their ordeal will also travel to Delhi, Bengaluru
A demonic act in the capital on December 16, 2012 jolted an entire nation and touched lives around the world. While an entire generation was mourning over Nirbhaya’s rape or condemning it in their own capacities, 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 Nirbhaya’s story deserved to be retold and relived before it freezes in memories and headlines of newspapers. 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 at the Tata NCPA on Monday, 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 possibly 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 previous plays, Amajuba in New York.
Nirbhaya is based on the true incident of the gang rape in Delhi and how the death of a young woman affected the lives of 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. “It is a voyage into the realm of personal testimonies culled from the performers,” says Yael.
As to what manifested the angst into a creative piece of work, Yael says, “When Poorna saw (via Facebook) how affected I was by Nirbhaya’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.’ As a playwright, I am attuned to the tides of what affects us as communities. I believe that theatre’s true intention is to show us to ourselves in our true raw form, in order to be a healthier society. 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 can’t put her finger on what exactly made this particular incident the tipping point for so many, but believes that what matters is the staggering number of people whose levels of righteous rage manifested on the streets of the nation.
She adds, “Nirbhaya’s death was for many, a point of no return. But we know that the flames of righteous rage can burn out quickly in this saturated world. The play is an invitation to witness these performers tell Nirbhaya’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 — and that it is the act of a coward and not a man! 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. “I hope it brings about a shift in attitude, a deeper understanding of the complexities of violence, a questioning on what is masculine and feminine, a breaking of silences, a breaking of apathy and ignorance. By letting the audience in on our darkest moment, we hope that there will be light,” she says adding, “To be very honest, we all created the play for this moment (Indian premiere), to be with Indian audiences and have them experience this play here; we are so proud to be on our home turf.”
