Selfexploration of a theatrical kind

Vijaya deems to be a shy and sensitive girl who’s colourful dreams are bound by domestic demands. The Hindi play, Mujhe Amrita Chahiye, takes us through her journey of self-exploration via theatre. Written more than 15 years ago by Yogesh Tripathi, this play draws the audience to introspect and question the intentions and pressure from society. Directed by Mukesh Ghatiya, the play also has many comical instances where it draws satirical takes on society.

Though the play was penned a decade-and-a-half ago, it still holds relevance in today’s society, which is one of the main reasons why the director chose it. “I was looking for a genre which made people think and question the way we look at life and how society looks at us,” says Ghatiya. “Vijaya is a shy girl who wants to do so many things which she has to compromise on because the society holds some rigid views on women, which her parents believe too. The play within a play, is about the internal battle she faces,” he says about his third directorial play. In the two-hour duration, the characters go through various transformations which need to be depicted with relatively natural acting. Doesn’t seem like an easy task! “Guiding the actors with their character transformations was certainly one of the biggest challenges because the cast is quite big and I have never directed so many people before. But the actors have caught on well and the social drama will give rise to a number of questions in the viewers heads,” he adds smiling.

The protagonist of the play – Vijaya who plays Amrita, seems like a very relatable girl. “She is very giving in nature and selflessly takes care of her entire family. But she plays the character of Amrita who is bold, confident and fearless and does not bow down to societal norms or pressure. Both these characters have specific traits that make them so admirable,” says Debangana Dey, who plays the protagonist who believes she is outspoken and loud. So channelling Vijaya’s character must have been quite a task for her! “I never hesitate to voice my opinion like Amrita, so it was challenging for me to bring out and portray the soft spoken nature of Vijaya. Keeping both personalities discrete in terms of tonality and assertiveness, was quite challenging,” reveals the debutant actor. “There is romance, comedy, tragedy and full-on entertainment in this play, which will prevent people from dozing-off in their chairs. Also, characters are very relatable with a message for everyone,” adds the actor about what the audience should look forward to, in conclusion.

— The play is being staged on Saturday at Rangasthala at 4 pm and 7.30 pm and on Sunday at KH Kala Soudha at 4 pm and 7.30 pm.