A new play delves into the travails of migrant cab drivers to present three life sketches that take viewers through the tricky terrain of an app-based economy
In the rigmarole of attending to the million chores that need to be accomplished before leaving for work, we are all too familiar with this routine — head to the desk where your phone is still charging; open a cab aggregator app; enter "work" as the destination; accept the fare, and pack in a few more chores until a car pulls up at your doorstep.
You get in, have a quick discussion with the driver about which route to take, and after tapping at your phone, making calls or reading the papers for however long it takes for the commute, you mutter a quick "thank you" and shut the cab door, never to see that face again. Even if you do, in all likelihood, you wouldn't recognise it.
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The play uses video projections by Sudarshan K, and features seven actors in the cast. Pics/Richa Bhavanam
Bengaluru-based playwright-director Chanakya Vyas's first brush with this app-based transport economy, too, was as a passenger. But he chose to strike up a conversation with drivers every time he booked a cab.
The conscious effort offered a glimpse into the lives of these migrant workers, their aspirations and hardships. In October 2017, he actively sought to speak to them at length in parking lounges, and after collecting several such life histories, arrived at the script of Algorithms. The play premiered in Bengaluru in October 2018, and debuts in Mumbai tomorrow.
An Indian Ensemble production — the company was founded in 2009 by noted theatre practitioners Abhishek Majumdar and Sandeep Shikhar, who handed over its artistic director-ship to Vyas last year — it remains true to the company's reputation for a strong focus on research.
"While it was quick money that drew them to this app-based economy, the incentive structure soon changed. So, unless a cab driver makes at least 13 to 14 trips a day, he cannot break even. On the one hand, you are free to go offline on the app and refuse rides any time you want to, but on the other, there is this self-imposed compulsion of having to drive for long hours in order to earn over and above the owner company's deductions and other overheads. Being absolutely free also means being completely trapped," says Vyas, sharing what he gleaned from the oral histories he recorded with dramaturge Mayura Baweja.
Sambhaji Shivaji Sasane and Chanakya Vyas
"It was important to go beyond our conversation during rides to overcome the power equation between a passenger and driver," he adds. Before finalising the script, Vyas also referred to a study by the Indian Institute of Human Settlements. "My aim was to map the personal and the universal, with the thread of human condition running through it," he tells us about the play, which presents three stories with snippets of the drivers' lives and work. The set design by Sridhar Murthy is minimalistic with large smartphone-like flaps on the stage. "Phones may be hand-held but their impact on our lives is massive," Vyas explains.
Actor Sambhaji Shivaji Sasane, who plays a cabbie and an insurance agent, says how his character quits his job as the chauffeur of a disrespectful landowner, only to work for a system where he can't put a face to his boss's name. "There are other health problems that come with the job. Sleep deprivation is one of them. They even have to wait for long before they can find a window to relieve themselves," he shares.
"It's not that they are ignorant of this oppression. But what's the way out?" adds Vyas, referring to the neo-liberal model which, though has revolutionised the way we move, is highly individualistic, leaving little scope for unionisation.
Do they plan to have a show for the drivers they spoke to? "It feels like we are telling them we know your story better. I find that a little problematic," says Vyas, adding, "But the few drivers we did invite told us the play was during their peak business hours. For us, it's a play. For them, it's their livelihood."
On April 4, 7 pm; April 5, 7 pm and 9.30 pm
At Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
Log on to bookmyshow.com
Entry Rs 350
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