Atul Satya Kaushik’s Draupadi emphatically raised questions about women empowerment and emancipation. By Trisha Mukherjee
The issue of women empowerment cannot be confined by time and geography. One of the iconic mythological characters Draupadi existed ages ago but her life and endurance continue to reflect in modern times. Films, art and theatre have often attempted to draw parallels between Draupadi and the woman of today. One such play was staged last week which compelled the audience to think about women empowerment.
A presentation of The Films and Theater Society, Draupadi is set in a Haryana village in 1960s. It was a retelling of certain chapters from Draupadi’s life that juxtapose in a contemporary setting. As the men of the family go out to attend a wedding, the play depicted how the women of the household decided to use the opportunity to re-enact an old play which was banned by the male patriarch. They thought it would corrupt the minds of women.
“Draupadi was one of the first liberated women in Indian history. She was well-educated and far ahead of her times. She was the queen and wife to the pandavas yet couldn’t control her own fate,” said Atul Satya Kaushik, the director of the play. During the presentation, the women took up the roles of all characters including men and reprised the tragedies of their own lives. They discovered how closely their lives are a reflection of Draupadi’s life. Kaushik unfolded the intense story in an incredibly light and seamless manner. The trauma of sexual assault in contemporary times, for instance, was excellently paralleled with Draupadi’s disrobing.
The director chose Haryana as the setting of his play not because of the state’s notoriety for the lowest sex ratio or the repeated incidents of female foeticide but for its proximity to many cultures. “The village in Haryana shares its borders with Rajasthan, and certain parts of Punjab, and therefore, people here speak different languages. People with different cultures reside together in this village,” he said.
The play was high on folk music. “It’s a musical play with songs of different styles such as ragini, qawwali, ghazal, heer and thumris. It is a powerful commentary on the need of women emancipation. The issue of menstruation and the problems faced by women during these days is elaborately explained through a song,” said Kaushik.
Staged at the Kamani Auditorium, it was full of light-hearted jokes and one-liners from Haryana. “The earthly humour in the play seeks to keep the audience engaged. It is not a lecture or seminar on women empowerment. It is a piece of theatrical art, and the humour prevents the audience from getting disconnected,” said Kaushik.