On Spinal Cord Injury Day which falls on September 5, a virtual play about a tetraplegic will bring together actors from across India and tap into themes of awareness, class divide, empathy and acceptance
Representation pic
Whenever we look at wheelchair-bound people, we tend to think it can never happen to us. But that’s not the case; spinal cord injuries are common,” points out Kolkata-based theatre artiste Sumit Lai Roy, ahead of International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Day on September 5. A cursory look at the numbers confirms Roy’s claim; every year, 2.5 lakh to 5 lakh people suffer from SCI globally, according to the World Health Organization. SCI, resulting in paralysis, can transform the patient’s life, leading to a turning point in their life, along with those surrounding them. And this Sunday, Roy’s digital play, Turning Point, will follow the story of Darius, a tetraplegic who discovers that he can be more humane than most humans.
Dolly Thakore and Aswin Varrier in Turning Point; (top) the play revolves around SCI. Representation pic
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Directed by Roy, the founder member of The Red Curtain theatre group, the play is based on a script by journalist-writer Meher Pestonji. It features actors Dolly Thakore, Aswin Varrier, Tanvee Ravi, Deena Ardeshir and Faredoon Bhujwala, who collaborated from different parts of India. The Red Curtain had already done a play for SCI Day in 2016, shares Roy. “Around May, Pooh Sayani forwarded me some scripts from the longlist of the Sultan Padamsee Awards, and that’s how I came across Turning Point,” he tells us, adding that Pestonji was initially hesitant about producing it digitally. However, she came on board after an online play reading, and Roy wrote to the Association Of Spine Surgeons of India, who agreed that theatre was a good way to promote the cause. The production is also supported by the Spine Society of West Bengal and International Spinal Cord Society.
About her first digital play, Thakore reveals that the plot revolves around Darius (essayed by Varrier), a young man who suffers SCI. “I play the role of his Parsi mother, Mrs Paymaster, a well-established personality. After her son is injured and requires full-time help, she decides to reach out to Soonamai [Ardeshir], a working-class Parsi woman who brought her up. Soonamai has a granddaughter, Rhoda [Ravi]. There’s also Narayan and Mr Mathur, played by Bhujwala,” she informs us.
Faredoon Bhujwala and Meher Pestonji. Pic Courtesy/Facebook
Without being preachy, the play subtly sends across the message of empathy, respect and acceptance, shares Thakore. Roy adds that although the plot follows Darius’ life, it explores all kinds of disabilities. “It looks at how people with disabilities are othered, and how people who seem to be of an inferior class are othered. It explores divides that we artificially create. For instance, our bias towards economic disability comes through. Pestonji specialises in keenly observing society. The play depicts how every human being can be humane no matter their disability,” he notes.
The 75-minute drama, which will be followed by a discussion, is free to watch, but is based on a pay-it-forward model, where viewers help make more shows possible through donations. The play, Roy hopes, will not just depict the turning point in the lives of Darius and the other characters, but also propel a change in the viewer’s attitude: “We’re hoping that the audience will have a turning point and realise that we need to be sensitive to every human’s ability, rather than disability.”
On: September 5, 7 pm
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