Woman spends her life playing many a different characters immediate one’s being that of a daughter, a sister, a love interest, a wife, daughter in law and a mother. And not to forget many others like BFF, just friends, granddaughter, niece, aunt, mother in law and so many more.
In each of these roles, we see a different aspect of the woman. Corollary being, the man treats the woman differently depending on what relationships he holds with her at a point of time. Given the materialistic society we live in, the myriad shades of emotions and relationships vary with class and type of family.
While we remember Razia Sultan as the first monarch of Delhi, or Jhansi Bai inspires the men soldiers even today, we are smitten most by a certain Mumtaz that was the reason for a monument called the Taj Mahal. Love is so much part of our folklore, and so it is today, in the days of FaceBook and iPhones. Women in India now participate in all activities such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, to name a few – but the underlying emotions, especially those of belonging or being felt loved, remains the same.
Whatever role she plays, a woman seeks her day of belonging, of being recognized. And when she finds it, colours swell around her, rich, thick, like careless brushstrokes creating a whirlpool, that makes everyone’s heart dance. All this and much more, can be found in the life of Madona.
This article is an review of a play I recently saw, produced by Dhaaran Productions, written by Namrta Dhar and staged at Alliance Franchaise on September 18, 2011
