‘She’ gives voice to women’s struggles, resilience

YUVAA Theatre captivated city audiences with its new production, ‘She: Some Tales of Her’, directed by Dr Ankur Sharma. The play is a poignant remake of the acclaimed production ‘Muzeum’. Earlier staged as part of a workshop, ‘She’ was presented before audience at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall on September 5 and 6. The play retells the ordeals, trials and triumphs of women.

Twelve women from diverse walks of life underwent a month-long training programme before reclaiming the public stage to challenge deep-seated societal silences and patriarchal narratives. What made the production unique was that the participants were not professional actors. They included Jalandhar’s prominent socialites, activists, homemakers, professionals, entrepreneurs and writers, who came together for the stage presentation following the successful workshop.

The ensemble featured columnist and podcaster Randeep Mand, glass designer Kudrat Tamber, psychologist Sonu Aggarwal, school principal Prabhjot Gill, teacher Gunjan Mittal, SOCH NGO founder Anjali Dada, retired octogenarian physician Dr Sunil Kaushal, crochet designer Dimple Malhotra and businesswomen and homemakers Seema Sondhi, Bhavna Jain, Parul Gupta and Apurva Bhaskar.

Together, the women gave voice to everyday struggles, systemic harassment and the resilience of women across different sections of society. Woven with wry humour, evocative music and stirring songs, the production confronted difficult realities and highlighted the experiences of survivors of acid attacks, domestic violence, rape and stalking. The play also questioned the patriarchal conditioning that continues to compromise women’s safety and agency in the 21st century.

The production received a strong response from the cultural audience of Jalandhar, with back-to-back house full shows at the venue.