Naseeruddin Shah directs an all-female cast as a tribute to Ismat Chughtai

A scene from Ismat Apa ke NaamMotley and Ismat Chughtai go long back In 2000 when the theatre group cofounded by Naseeruddin Shah made its foray into Hindustani it chose to do so by weaving together three stories by the avantgarde writer for a series of zesty monologues called Ismat Apa ke Naam Next came MantoIsmat Haazir Hain followed by a fresh selection of stories for Ismat Apa ke Naam 2 And with each production the group unveiled a layer of Chughtais worldview and style of storytelling hitherto unknown to most audiences for whom her oeuvre was synonymous with LihaafFrom left standing Shruti Vyas Seema Pahwa Bhavna Pani seated from left Prerna Chawla Jaya Virrley Naseeruddin Shah and Trishla PatelHer storytelling ability is one of a kind It can only be referred to in Ghalibs words as andaazebayaan There is humour satire and wickedness in it She herself describes her way of writing as as if I am chatting to the reader That is what makes her stories so accessible to the listener says Shah ahead of the final rehearsal for his latest tribute to Chughtai titled Aurat Aurat Aurat Moving away from monologues Shah has directed an allfemale cast that plays multiple characters on stage to present segments from her autobiography and the essays Ek Shauhar ki Khaatir Aadhi Aurat Aadha Khwaab and Soney ka AndaIsmat ChughtaiIn the autobiographical part three actors depict Ismats childhood adolescence and early life in Bombay The idea was not to try and imitate her but to make sure that her attitude and thoughts come across says Trishla Patel who plays Chughtai as a ninth grader So were the seeds of her revolutionary writing sown in childhood She was born that way All she wanted was women to be equal to men she had nothing against men and that is a very fine line she sharesThe next piece Shauhar ki Khaatir is set in a jampacked railway compartment All her fellow women passengers are intrigued by the presence of Chughtai the solo traveller In their conversation with her her marital status gets unwavering attention says Bhavna Pani who plays one of the passengers She continues Chughtai too plays with them by telling some women that she is married and revealing to others that she is notShah sets Chughtais famous essay Aadhi Aurat Aadha Khwaab in a typical family where the author through the lady of the household thinks aloud about the state of women in her time the way they are subjugated to domestic chores and strictly told not to do anything else People have created and fallen in love with the idea of a woman thats devoid of logic says Pani about the essay It will make people think about how we have blindly been following norms without giving them a thoughtThe final performance Soney ka Anda is a solo act by veteran actor Seema Pahwa and is about the mourning that follows the birth of a girl child The music accompanying all four pieces draw from Faiz Ahmad Faizs nazm Pa BaJaulan Chalo whose lyrics translate to Even if we are shackled lets move forward with gusto in the shacklesTrue to the spirit of the music Pani feels that portraying the spirit of Chughtai on stage has been a liberating experience She says Reading Chughtai shows you how to live unapologetically as a woman She can say such profound things in such simple ways Some things are right below your nose but you need an Ismat to see them Shah agrees Her oeuvre is so varied It counts among the best short story writing in the world Unfortunately the translations dont do justice to the zest of Ismats writing and most people have read her in translationThe style apart its the biting relevance of her stories that urges Shah to turn to Chughtai time and again The references in her writings are from the 1940s but the thoughts are worth reiterating because things may be a bit evolved in the metropolises but certainly not in other parts of the country Women are still subjugated in many ways and treated shabbily What she was talking about 70 to 80 years ago is still true and thats the unfortunate part he concludesFrom Today till April 15At Prithvi Theatre JuhuCall 26149546Cost Rs 300Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates