It’s been 100 years since the famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Tennessee, where a teacher was put on trial for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Inspired by this real-life event, the play Inherit the Wind returns to the Bengaluru stage as a rehearsed reading — 46 years after its first production. We were in conversation with director Jagdish Raja, who spoke about its lasting message, the right to think freely and balancing faith with reason.
Back in 1979, what first drew you to Inherit the Wind?
I was working in an ad agency in Mumbai when a colleague suggested we watch a film playing at Eros cinema. That film was Inherit the Wind, starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March and Gene Kelly. We were deeply impressed. A few days later, this same colleague, who was a staunch Catholic, said he was disturbed. In California at the time, parents were questioning schools for teaching Darwin because the ‘Good Book’ said creation happened in seven days. This traced back to the real-life Scopes Trial in Tennessee, where a teacher was imprisoned for teaching evolution. That was the spark that led to it.
What inspired you to revisit the play nearly five decades later?
Once my wife and I returned to Bengaluru from England, we both got involved in amateur theatre here. Let me clarify: amateur doesn’t mean second-rate. It comes from the Latin word amatory — lover. We did theatre for the love of it. This gave me the opportunity to finally stage the play. The film was released in 1960, the original play was written in 1955, during the time of senator McCarthy’s witch hunts (finding people linked to communism) in America. It was a metaphor against the stifling of free thought.
Do you think the themes of Inherit the Wind have become more pressing in today’s context?
Absolutely! Look at what’s happening today. In India, the periodic table has been removed from school textbooks. Darwin has been cancelled. The Mughal period is being erased from our history books. The freedom to think is under attack. There’s a line in the play: “Why do you deny the one faculty that lifts man above all other creatures on this Earth? The power of his brain to reason.” That line rings louder now than ever.
How did your approach to directing this rehearsed reading differ from the full production in 1979?
The main difference is that the actors will have scripts on music stands. This way, they aren’t holding anything and are free to use their hands and faces to express themselves. It allows for a freer, more expressive performance, even within the limitations of a reading.
Were there any surprises when you revisited the script after all these years?
Not surprises, but deep reaffirmation. There’s a poem I love: Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt. It speaks about loving fellow men over religious orthodoxy. That’s the spirit of this play. I grew up among Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Jews – in Bandra, we all lived to g ether. Today, we are dividing ourselves. Prejudice stems from fear and insecurity. Inherit the Wind is a reminder of the beauty of co-existence and the idea of free thought.
What has this play taught you about theatre, society or even yourself over the years?
That I was right to believe in the power of theatre to provoke thought. India is a country built on plurality. We welcomed Parsis, Christians, Anglo-Indians. Where would we be without the Tatas or Homi Bhabha? Theatre, like Inherit the Wind, helps us remember those values. One line in the play says: “The day you lose your power to laugh, lady, is the day you lose your power to think.” That’s stayed with me.
Has your personal understanding of faith, reason or freedom evolved since you first staged the play?
Yes, largely thanks to the internet and platforms like YouTube. I came across a passage from the Rig Veda which asks, “Who created all this?” and concludes: “Perhaps even He doesn’t know.” That humility is missing today. We accepted Darwin’s theory of evolution decades ago, but today it’s under siege. I always return to the idea that what sets us apart is our power to think. And as Inherit the Wind reminds us, even the right to be wrong must be defended.
INR 400. July 18, 19 & 20, 7.30 pm. At Jagriti Theatre, Whitefield.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
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