A glimpse of ‘tit for tat’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Actor Jhansi Lakshmi will present a play on January 12. tit for tat And purusha suktam At Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad, in association with Sangamam Theater Festival, as a part of Rangayatra. The plays written and directed by Jhansi aim to make the audience think and debate on gender equations. The Ranga Yatra will travel to various cities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh including educational institutions where the plays will be staged and followed by discussions.
“I see theater as a platform for social debate,” says Jhansi. “Censorship, money and other market factors control cinema, which has become primarily a medium of entertainment. I intend to use theater to break the silence on certain gender issues.
tit for tat is a social satire with dark humor. With a cast of 14, the play was first presented to a select audience in October 2023 on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After a few changes, the one-hour play is now ready to be presented to a wider audience. Jhansi is described tit for tat In the form of a play, through which he has tried to explore the politics around women’s breasts in the Indian context.
The play depicts how women fall prey to the male gaze, addressing consent among other aspects. Jhansi points out that one character in the play is a female actor who thinks of her body as an investment; Another character is a director who thinks of ways to use this investment to generate business through cinema.
Other characters include a newcomer to the industry, a fat woman who brings up her plight, a thin woman who wonders if she will grow to a certain size that will be considered acceptable, a trans woman, and a trans man who undergoes a double mastectomy. Already happened. , tit for tat It also outlines how a radical approach to feminism cannot provide solutions and urges viewers to look beyond the binary. Actress Gayatri Gupta has played the lead role in the drama.
Jhansi and Vamsi Chaganti in ‘Purusha Suktam’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
purusha suktamThe one-hour play, which Jhansi conceived five years ago, will be the second play to be presented as part of the Ranga Yatra. Starring Vamsi Chaganti and Jhansi, this contemporary abstract drama explores how ‘learned masculinity’ developed through social conditioning is a threat to men. Jhansi says, “Social conditioning has made men think that they should not do certain tasks, for example sweeping the house. We look at such situations not through a feminist lens but through how these rules can affect men. We also talk about mental health issues and men’s rights. Since it is a Telugu drama, I am hoping to reach a wider audience.
Until now, Jhansi has self-financed its theater ventures. This time, with plans to take the plays to audiences across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he is looking for sponsors.
(Jhansi Ki Rangyatra will present Tit for Tat and Purusha Suktam at Ravindra Bharati on January 12 from 5 pm onwards. Tickets book on myshow.com)
published – January 08, 2025 03:47 PM IST
