If you thought Rebecca Spurgeon-Kirtana Kumar’s interpretation of the Greek mythological tale of Medea at Jagriti last month was the only inspiration this city’s thespians could have taken from the story, here’s a production that can prove you wrong. Directed by Shatarupa Bhattacharyya, the Hindi-language play Silvatein — The Wrinkles in Time is set debut in Bengaluru this weekend. The story-line is inspired from Nabaneeta Dev Sen’s Bengali play titled Medea, which in turn is an adaptation of the legend of Medea.
“My true inspiration came from watching women who would not suffer any kind of humiliation and, if needed, would give it back. I wanted to create a story where the female protagonist has the agency to write her own fate and not seek approval from others. Nabaneeta Dev Sen’s play gave me the perfect context to do that,” Shatarupa begins.
Silvatein follows the story of Rupali Choudhury (played by Ujani Ghosh) and Arijit Mallick (Sagnik Sinha), who meet each other in an abstract space. In the beginning, Arijit comes off as someone who is confident, flamboyant and a bit of a narcissist. Rupali, on the other hand, is on the opposite side of the spectrum — she is apprehensive and timid.
But something shifts in the play later, making Arijit come across as desperate to get Rupali’s approval while Rupali seems like a calm and composed woman who does not leave any opportunity to humour him. Are Arijit and Rupali old flames or just strangers whose paths have crossed accidentally? That is the very question answered as the play unfolds. Apart from these two, the play also has an ancillary character called Charron (Parag Mani).
Thus, at its heart, Silvatein is about amplifying a woman’s voice. “The play highlights an everyday woman, from whom no one really expects anything extraordinary. However, time changes her and she does become someone powerful,” elucidates Shatarupa. “It has themes of marriage, love, compatibility, motherhood and legitimacy — and how each woman has different ways of gauging them. Each woman is different and so are their aspirations and desires,” she further notes.
But not just women-centric concepts. Silvatein also explores how incompatibility manifests in the everyday interaction of a relationship, poisoning it slowly but steadily until it causes irreparable damage to one or both individuals in a relationship. The play, though, delves deep into this, not in the midst of a relationship, but in its aftermath, in hindsight, when those who have survived such a relationship have had the time to replay it in their minds endlessly and have wondered how they might respond if they run into their former lovers someday, somewhere.
Speaking about the sound design, Shatarupa says, “We have used a lot of cello music to set the mood. Music is there throughout the play but it does not interfere with the main narrative.” And what next can we expect from the director? “More women’s stories, definitely! I am trying to design a storytelling performance that will narrate gender struggles from a personal space,” Shatarrupa shares her plans enthusiastically.
Since Women’s Day is right around the corner, how could we let a thespian go without asking her a question relevant to the occasion? We ask her: Can you tell us about one woman writer who has inspired you a lot? “I absolutely love and adore Mahasweta Devi’s work. She was a force of nature — powerful, eloquent and impressive. Her work finds immense importance in present times. In fact, I am also adapting a short story by her, about a woman from the margins and her struggles,” Shatarupa concludes.
INR 300. March 9, 3.30 pm and 7 pm. At Medai, Koramangala.
prattusa@newindianexpress.com
@MallikPrattusa
