Kolkata girl Tanvi Rajgarhia aka Jhansi has been creating waves ever since she took to introducing Broadway theatre in the Indian mainstream media. Today she singlehandedly carries forward the art with self-composed acts the latest of which is titled “We Break Up Because of Family Reasons”. Shot in Mumbai, under a day’s time, this YouTube video sheds light on the Indian problems of maintaining a relationship especially when factors like family approval and astrology come into play. We speak to the vivacious lady to know more about her latest release.
How is the message being received by the Indian audience?
The topic I have worked on for We Break Up Because of Family Reasons is something every Indian person has had to face at some point or the other, including me. I think it will be all the more relatable as it finally sheds light on a problem that has made each one of us feel very lonely and misunderstood. I have been receiving messages where people have expressed their relief upon seeing the video, since their pain and heartbreak feels acknowledged and seen.
Have you ever faced a similar situation? What inspired you to choose this topic?
Things started changing drastically once I turned 25. Most of my friends started getting married, or rounding down on one person they wish to spend their life with. A series of break ups followed, as soon as some expressed their choices to their families. Instead of things going official, some were forced by their parents to break up with their partners due to ridiculous reasons. I remember this affected my choices as well, as I refused to date a person knowing he would never be approved by my family. I soon realised, this was a very invisible but strong pattern that we were all getting affected by. This act is a culmination of our collective tears.
What will keep you busy in the coming months?
I got invited to the most exclusive Musical Theatre Writing workshop in the world that goes by the name BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Some popularly address it as the Harvard of Musical Theatre. I will be spending the next two years of my life writing musicals for them, as well as indulging in every other aspect of musical theatre. I also have a show named "Terrified of Twenty-Five” coming up in July. It’s a 75-minute solo musical act, with support from four live musicians. I am planning a musical take on the Mahabharata, which I will be releasing on my Instagram, one song at a time soon.