Nandita Das’ recent production Between the lines was a wake-up call for women as it questioned equality and its manifestation in present-day society. By Iknoor Kaur
Happily married! That is what she said when they held hands and drove away in their fancy new car on the day of the wedding. Though her married life has been one with no hurdles, happiness slowly became subjective to her. She didn’t know what made her happy. Was it when her husband had a fabulous day at work or when she finally had a good night’s sleepIJ An independent, intelligent and hardworking woman like Maya forgot all of her attributes while juggling between herself and her family. Millions of women in the world sacrifice themselves in order to build the perfect home, Maya is just one such example. Nandita Das’ latest play Between the lines was a mirror to 99 per cent of our married population and the women of the world. While it analysed Indian traditional ways of living, it dug deep into the nuances of being a woman, eventually highlighting the dilemma of a present-day housewife. The play was staged during the weekend at the FICCI Auditorium.
Being a small cast play, Nandita was accompanied by her husband Subodh Maskara on stage. The play is set in urban India and shows how a well-educated couple gets stuck between modernity and tradition. The story is of Maya and Shekhar who fell in love at law school and eventually got married. Confident and ambitious as the two of them were, they pursued their careers. Shekhar is a high-profile criminal lawyer and Maya drafts routine contracts for a law firm. Happy with the way their lives have been progressing in the past so many years, there is a sudden twist in the tale when the two find themselves on opposite sides of an attempted murder case. As they fight the case, personal revelations start to create a problem between them. So much so that in the end when Maya wins the case against him, there are no celebrations.
Candid and rich in delivery and performance, the play is not just an ordinary one. It brings along with it small and subtle metaphors that irk the viewer. Be it the fact that Maya always chooses the smaller piece of cake on the plate or does Shekhar’s work irrespective of being caught up with 100 other things. “This is exactly what we are talking about,” said Nandita. “For generations, historically the damage has been done. Women have learnt to give in at every opportunity. Why is it that the father can sleep peacefully at night when his son is out late with his friendsIJ Or why is it that if Shekhar would have won the case, there would have been big celebration. It is now up to us to change this trend because the change also happens in a generation,” she added.
The play also interacts with the audience and asks them for an opinion. In the end before the verdict of the case they are fighting is revealed, the two of them present their cases in front of the audience. However, that raises the bigger question of inequality in every class of society. Nandita elaborated, “We always say that inequality is something we see in the poor classes. But no, it is the same story everywhere. When I got married to Subodh I considered myself a fairly liberal person. I have spoken about gender issues for years. I’ve said the same things to people that I am experiencing. When I had a child I realised how much I was juggling.”
Maya states during the play that she wants her son (who is in boarding school) to be with her but at the same time she wants her free time. “I know it is like all I want is everything. But this dilemma is real and it is not about finding these easy answers, it’s about conditioning and identifying this trap that we are all in. Every woman suffers on some account or the other,” explained Nandita.
The play ends on a note where Shekhar takes a step towards being an equal in the relationship. Subodh said, “The idea of equality is a long journey and it is not only about the woman changing but the man changing as well. Men have a lot to gain with equality and I tell you that with personal experience.”
The strength of the play lies in the acting. Nandita takes full credit for that. Though Subodh played his part very well, she gave a stellar performance while switching between the role of the accused and the defence lawyer. One could not tell she was the same person when she switched sides. Nonetheless, the message of the play was loud and clear and forced the audience to rise up to a standing ovation. “This is only the start of a much larger realisation and movement,” closed Nandita.