92 THE WEEK • JULY 29, 2018
THEATRE
@LEISURE
Humour in
disguise
A fourth-generation Iranian living
in India, Faezeh Jalali draws
inspiration from both the cultures
to create thought-provoking and
hilarious playsIT IS A WARM, fuzzy afternoon in
Mumbai when we meet playwright
and director Faezeh Jalali. Costume
sets from the play, Shikhandi, fl ut-
tered in the wind from the parapet
of the Experimental Th eatre, NCPA,
probably hung out to dry after a
quick wash for that night’s perfor-
mance—an evident sign of it being
an experimental play, produced on a
tight budget. Th e theatre was house-
ful the previous two nights and there
was a lot of applause and laughter in
the auditorium. Th e night I watched,
an old couple discussed how the title
misled them into believing that the
play was a serious aff air, but were
surprised by the humour.
Shikhandi: Th e Story of the In-Be-
tweens is inspired by one of the
earliest transgender characters from
Hindu mythology—Shikhandi—a
transwoman raised as a man. She
was instrumental in the victory of the
Pandavas in the battle of Kurukshetra
in the Mahabharat. Jalali, while cov-
ering the journey of Shikhandi, trains
the focus on important questions
plaguing the society, like patriarchy
and societal pressures, but most per-
tinently, gender identity. Th e play, an
NCPA and Fats Arts Th eatre produc-tion, fi rst premiered in Mumbai in
March 2017. It was back in Mumbai
recently after successful shows in
Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Goa;
while also bagging nominations in
various categories in the Mahin-
dra Excellence in Th eatre Awards
(META) and winning the best actor
in a lead role (female).
Jalali, though happy about bringing
social issues into focus, had wanted
to cast an actor from the transgen-
der community to make a stronger
statement. But, after auditions, she
realised that though there was no
dearth of great performers and danc-
ers, money was a problem. “Th e idea
was that if there was a transperson
who can perform, the opportunity
had to be made available to them,”
says Jalali. “But, commuting expens-
es alone came to around 0 400 a day
and I would have had to do it for the
whole cast, not just for one person.
Th at, I could not have done because
of a restricted budget”.Th eatre, she says, is a good check
on human wishes that never seem to
end. “No matter how great I want to
be and how much good I want to do,
the bottom-line is that for transpeo-
ple to get work, they have to be given
opportunity across spaces to make it
easier for them.”
Of all the problems in putting to-
gether a play, the biggest, she says, is
the fi nances. While doing 07/07/07,
a play about the Iranian woman
Reyhaneh Jabbari who was put
behind bars for stabbing a man who
tried to rape her, the producer pulled
out midway. “We had to crowd-fund
it,” she says. But, Jalali is optimistic.
“I think there is always a way out.”
Th e play got her the META award for
directing the best ensemble play in
2016.
Th e other hitch, at times, is to get
the time and long-term commitment
from actors. “Especially when I work
in very long processes,” says Jalali. “I
don’t do a 10-day or a month-long