A solo play uses close-to-real sets and costumes to give you a glimpse of the struggles that marred the life of the Mexican artist and feminist icon
Actor Krutika Deo had to learn basic Spanish for the role, in addition to figuring out how to play Frida across the years
You may recognise Frida Kahlo by her embroidered outfits and flowers in her hair. But, how much do you really know about the life of the Mexican artist, who is celebrated today not just as a fashion icon, but also as a voice for feminists and the LGBTQ community?
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This weekend, you can learn more about the struggles and the overshadowing success that made up her life by attending O! Frida, a solo act written and directed by Abhishek Deshmukh, starring Krutika Deo.
The beginning
"The idea of this play came when I wanted to register for a solo theatre festival in Pune back in 2014," recalls Deshmukh. "I was looking for a strong female character whose story was substantial enough and would translate well on stage. That's when a friend told me about Frida," he shares, adding that this led to days of ravenous reading and research into the personal and professional life of the artist, who was known for her self portraits.
"On the surface, Frida was a revolutionary artist and fashionista, but beneath it lay a lot of pain. At 18, she was in an accident that left her bedridden for months. That's when she took to art. Later, her marriage to muralist Diego Rivera was a rocky one, with both having extramarital affairs," says Deshmukh. Once he had the script ready, he roped Deo in to play the lead. "At first, I was nervous; I had never done a solo act. Here, it was my responsibility to hold the attention of the audience," says the 22-year-old actor.
Keeping it real
The team pulled it off, and the show opened at the festival in December that year, even taking home the first prize. Not long after, O! Frida was among the selections at the International Youth Theatre Festival Vreme-Vratza, Bulgaria and, later, travelled to Egypt for the Alexandria International Festival for Contemporary Theater.
The play starts out in Spanish, and segues into Marathi and English. "We chose to start with Spanish, so we could establish the culture and locale. We wrote the lines we wanted, then got them translated," explains Deshmukh.
Abhishek Deshmukh
Deo had to learn basic Spanish, and figure out how to adapt to the non-linear progression of events. "The story involves a lot of jumps through time. So, if Frida is 18 in one scene, she is 36 in the next. This requires swift costume changes, of course. But, more importantly, I had to figure out how to subtly change my body language and tone, to make it believable," says Deo.
The team has made Deo look close to Frida as possible, giving her colourful Tehuana dresses and even the famous unibrow. The set, too, is meant to transport audiences to 20th-century Mexico. "Through this play, we want people to learn a little about Frida, and experience a whole new culture all at once," says Deshmukh.
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