03 October,2025 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Varma
A moment from the rehearsals. Pics Courtesy/HouseofBhaus; Nidhi Krishna
City-based collective HausOfBhaus is bringing queer joy to the stage through their debut production, Jhumkewali, at two venues in the city. The team comprises writer Ami Bhansali and theatre practitioners Nidhi Krishna and Mekhala Singhal. The play traces the lives of two college girls, Rekha and Bindu (played by Harshini Misra and Lauren Robinson). When Bindu finds Rekha's missing jhumka, the two strike up a conversation in the corridors of Sophia College for Women, and fall in love over chai-sutta, local train rides, and disco nights. What happens when they try to set up a date?
The poster for the play reflects the colours of matchboxes in the 1970s decade
Krishna reveals, "[Bhansali] had written this as a short story for the University of Iowa's International Writing Program for young writers, where we met and became friends". The central idea emerged from a simple question: When did one start selling jhumkas on trains? This propelled them to consider that the first person to sell jhumkas had to be a woman in love. With further conversations, the story transformed into a retro romance play set in Bombay (now Mumbai) of the 1970s.
"Bhansali wanted to make sure that we recognise that queerness is historical. It is not a modern phenomenon. It has always existed and always will exist," Krishna tells us. She elaborates how queer stories in the mainstream have been about the turbulent lives of queer people. "While it was difficult and painful to be queer until very recently, there had to have been queer people who were happy and who fell in love," she adds. Additionally, they found several similarities between India of the 1970s and that of contemporary times.
Nidhi Krishna and Ami Bhansali
"The Seventies was a time of deep political unrest and economic uncertainty. There was further marginalisation of the already disenfranchised," instances Singhal, adding, "We were seeing a global move towards conservatism the same way that we are today. While we may think so much has changed, not everything has gotten better." The play, therefore, aims to nudge its audience to understand how queer folks in the city negotiated spaces of freedom and love in a volatile climate.
Mekhala Singhal
The team has employed sound and design to stage the era. "If you see, our poster is designed like a matchbox with colours that are reflective of the time," adds Singhal. The set pieces carry vintage wood and rattan designs, popular in the '70s. The team has also integrated flowers and polka dots in the costumes using browns, yellows, pinks, reds. "We were so excited that there were so many queer actors in the city who were interested in playing queer roles like these," they recollect moments from the auditions. "Right now, the plan is to tour with Jhumkewali," says Krishna. The team hopes they can bring more light-hearted stories that celebrate queerness in endearing ways through their collective.
On October 7; 8.30 pm
At AntiSOCIAL, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
Log on to altshows.com
Entry Rs 599
