Niti Sayeed’s forthcoming play, The Undoing, highlights different ideologies surrounding women issues. She spoke to Iknoor Kaur
With recent events and incidents in town, women empowerment issues are once again the focus of every discussion and event in the city. A lot of street plays focussing on women issues did rounds. Adding her share is popular theatre actress Niti Sayeed who took a step outside her territory and directed The Undoing, written by Mariam Karim. She said, “Mariam gave me a lot of plays but this particular story hit me. I thought for a change let’s highlight women. We already had a set of actors ready so my decision to direct this play was instant.”
Niti shared that people in our society are psychologically repressed and are not given a chance to express their views. “Whether it is a progressive or regressive society, ultimately it is a man’s world and that is exactly what the play shows,” she added.
According to her, The Undoing is not one story but coming together of various ideologies. The play shows excerpts, which revolve around three Muslim women in a certain flow. The story begins in Rahimganj where Nasreen lives with her loving and committed husband, Javed. Brought up in london and Paris she is a bright woman who buries her intellectual aspirations because of her husband.
The focus then shifts to Kashmir, where the plight of women is displayed as their husbands and sons are jihadis with no hold of their fate.The last one has Habiba who recalls abuse, love, lust and desire which she came across willingly or unwillingly. She is also stoned to death for adultery.“I have tried to present an open question to people. I strongly believe that women are suppressed to such a level that their psyche has become such. When you start believing that you are suppressed, it seems like a reality because you don’t know any better,” said Niti. She also used extracts by Aristotle and Clement to expand on the intensity of the situation.
Commenting on the message the play spreads, she said, “We’ve never done a play to spread a message. Who are we to make a judgementsIJ let the people decide for themselves. We are only presenting facts.”Niti has had over 15 years of experience as the lead actress, co-writer and director in Peirrot’s Troupe. After all that experience she feels that the stage provides a platform to lay down reality. She said that people need to wake up and see what is happening and if they don’t feel anything about it then nothing can be done.
She will also be acting in the play along with her husband, Dr M Sayeed Alam, and famous actor Tom Alter. The play will open at the Sri Ram Centre on July 21. Niti said that there would be other shows as well. However, she hasn’t managed to get an auditorium space as of now. About her future projects she said that another script is in pipeline, which will be based on people from lower classes. It will have elements of betrayal and the concept of ‘the weakest person suffers’.