Joy Sengupta, known for his films and web series like Hate Story, Hello, and Stranger Things is also a popular face on the stage. When ace actress Lillete Dubey approached him to act in her teleplay Womanly Voices, he instantly accepted the opportunity to play a pivotal part in one of the three stories in the anthology. He says, “The anthology represents women’s voices in Indian literature and presents astonishingly diverse milieus. There are stories such as Wajeda Tabassum’s Utran, Mahasweta Devi's Shishu, and Gita Mehta’s haunting The Teacher’s Story, which mirrors life in all its richness and complexity.”
According to him, the stories are universal, insightful, powerful and distinct. The Teacher’s Story in which Joy stars is a stark reminder of deep-seated hate and prejudices. He shares with us, “Art must be a reflection of what's happening around us, be it good, bad or ugly. Art divorced from society can never be relevant. At times, it can even become an intervention of ideas and offer solutions.”
He adds that his artistic choices reflect his convictions and beliefs as well. “In theatre specifically, I tend to tilt towards themes, subjects and perspectives, which are closest to my worldview. In that sense, yes, theatre showcases my voice as an artist,” he says.
It is a positive sign, he feels that women around the world are increasingly using performing arts to discuss gender relations and feminine perspectives and adds, “Their participation in theatre in various capacities, is at its peak at the moment. Perhaps theatre remains one creative medium which has embraced gender equity in a big way.”
When asked why he has always chosen to vociferously speak up for gender issues, Joy responds, “I follow a simple Gandhian philosophy in my life-- 'Truth is truth, even if you are a minority of one.' So, if you are not scared of the truth, you shouldn't be scared of speaking it.”
Directed by Lillete Dubey, 'Womanly Voices' also stars Suchitra Pillai, Pranav Sachdev, Ira Dubey, Deepika Amin and Adit Bhilare.
The teleplay will be aired on Tata Play on October 28.