In actor and filmmaker Nandita Das’s play Between The Lines , we explore the lives of Maya and Shekhar, a lawyer couple who find themselves at the opposite ends of a criminal case. During the course of the trial, the lines between their personal and professional lives begin to blur, exposing underlying gender inequalities in today’s affluent class. Some of the incidents in the story borrow heavily from Das’s own marriage to Subodh Maskara, who also plays her husband on stage. This production also marks the filmmaker’s debut as a playwright and theatre director. After a successful run across many cities within and outside of India, she brings her play to The Hindu Theatre Fest. Excerpts from an e-mail interview…
This is the first time you wrote and directed a play. Did you enjoy the process? Was it, perhaps, harder than you had anticipated?
When you do something for the first time, of course, there is fear of not meeting expectations. But thankfully, right from my childhood, my parents didn’t instil any fear of failure. It made me more adventurous, and instead of worrying about the outcome, I was always encouraged to enjoy the journey. But while I jumped into the deep end by writing and directing a play for the first time, as the day of the first show came closer, I did get a bit nervous. Also, I was wearing too many hats – writer, director, actor. In the beginning, I struggled to leave my former hats when I was on stage just as an actor.
The play came at a time when you were juggling motherhood and several professional commitments. Have you become better at balancing the two roles?
Like most women, I learnt to multi-task from a young age. Often it is a challenge, but one needs to remind oneself not to feel guilty or be a superwoman. When Vihaan, my son, was less than two, I was the chairperson of Children’s Film Society, India, and was doing many different things like advocacy work on social justice and writing a monthly column etc; I found myself juggling enormously. It was no different from what most working women do. I felt working on a play on the subject of juggling by working women would be cathartic and could fit into an already-packed schedule. But it was harder than I thought! Over the years, I have gotten better at balancing roles, but the roles have also increased.
A lot of your own experiences and conversations with your husband have crept into the play. Did you find that cathartic?
Subodh has been an inherent part of our writing journey, as many of our conversations found their way into the script. But I never crossed the line of confidentiality or trust that is crucial in any relationship. We are both very strong-minded, and so at times, there were conflicts, but that’s part of the process. At times, the scenes of the play impacted our interactions at home. But I think the process of doing the play, fairly early on in our relationship, actually made us more frank and helped us confront our own issues. The husband-wife, actor-actor and then actor-director, producer-director equations all overlapped!
The play touches upon the complex issue of gender inequality. While writing, were you conscious of making your point gently and not sounding too preachy?
Having worked on women’s issues and through my interactions with my peers, I have always been intrigued by the subtle gender inequalities that exist in the educated and affluent class. There is nothing more fascinating to me than human relationships, and Between the Lines peels, layer by layer, what is said and what remains unsaid in a couple’s relationship. The urban affluent India is caught between modernity and tradition. Contrary to common perception, gender inequality is more subtle and deceptive. And therefore, only treating it subtly will make an impact.
Tickets
Between the Lines will be performed on August 23 at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are priced at Rs. 1000, Rs. 750 and Rs. 400. Student passes at Rs. 200 (balcony) are available subject to producing valid student ID for each seat during redemption. To book your tickets, log on to www.thehinduevents.com.
Sponsors
Between the Lines will be performed on August 23 at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are priced at Rs. 1000, Rs. 750 and Rs. 400. Student passes at Rs. 200 (balcony) are available subject to producing valid student ID for each seat during redemption. To book your tickets, log on to www.thehinduevents.com.
