Women's group from Kerala to stage play at Rang Mahotsav

A Malayalam drama, scripted, directed and acted by a group of women highlighting the pangs and plight of women in the Indian society, will be staged in the upcoming edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, to be held in New Delhi next year.
"Punar Jani", an experimental play which has already won critial acclaim, is the only Malayalam play selected for the 17th edition of the prestigious event along with productions by various theatre groups from across the globe.
The 90-minute play is produced by city-based 'Nireeksha Women's Theatre', a drama group run by women exclusively for highlighting gender and social issues.

The theatre group has been showcasing various issues faced by women, ranging from domestic violence to harassment and molestation of girls and children, through their plays for the last 15 years.
Sudhi Devayani, one of the founders of 'Nireeksha', said 'Punar Jani' is an attempt to look at various issues in the Indian society from women's perspective.
"'Punar Jani' is a journey by a woman who goes through the lives of three other women who were killed in different times. The plot will tell viewers the situation of women in our society. It is an attempt to read those issues from the point of view of a woman," she told PTI.

While Sudhi herself directed the play, E Rajarajeswari, her friend and co-founder of the group, penned the script. All major characters are also played by women.

A team of 20 persons are behind the play. Of the total 15 actors, five are men.
The plays written and produced by women received due recognition outside Kerala, they are yet to get deserving acceptance in their home state, she said.
Rajarajeswari, a college lecturer-turned theatre artist, said theatre is one of the strongest mediums to highlight social issues.
"We always believe that theatre should be used as a medium to address and highlight various social issues. We try to take up issues from the everyday life of women. So, we can easily connect to the audience," she told PTI.

Established in 1999, Nireeksha has so far produced over 20 plays dealing with various social issues.