Hans Raj College students applaud a courageous play

The

Hans Raj College

auditorium was packed with students, teachers and members of the faculty when the

Women Development Cell

of the college invited Shilpi Marwaha to perform the Hindi adaptation of

'A Woman Alone'

, directed by

Arvind Gaur

.

Shades of a woman
The play opens to a chaotic apartment where heaps of clothes can be seen on the chair, bed and all around. Shilpi, who plays Sheron, the only artist on the stage, starts talking to her friend, who cannot be seen. During the play, Sheron discusses about her jealous husband, her brother-in-law who ‘touches a woman (Sheron) everywhere’ and a crying baby, who is heard in the background. Sheron manages to show her pain, her messed-up situation and the level of insanity in the play. During the play she says, "Main humesha khud se hi baatein karti hoon. Sab seh leti hoon yeh kehke ki chup raho, chup raho, seh lo!"

Too explicit, we do not mind: Students
The Hindi adaptation and the originally written by

Dario Fo

and

Franca Rame

has many cuss words and scenes where Sheron talks about how she feels nothing for her husband. The sexual desires of the husband are often satisfied while she never feels anything for him. While Shilpi enacted all these feeling on the stage, some students seemed uncomfortable while others showed their appreciation by constantly cheering.

Neha Pal, a second year student of Hindi (hons) said, "Jo bhi baatein batayi gayi play mein, woh itne achhe se batayi gayi ki kuch bhi ajeeb nahi laga." A Daulat Ram College student, Bharati Singh, added, "Things that we can’t explain in words, she showed it on the stage."

Saksham Kumar

from the Women Development Cell said, "This is one of those plays which you cannot stage everywhere. Guts chahiye hote hain, aur unhone (Shilpi) bohot achhe se act kiya." The acting

principal

of Hans Raj College,

Rama Sharma

also appreciated the play and she asked the students, "Har college yeh play stage nahi kara sakta hai. Toh Hans Raj College ne iss play ko stage karke sahi kiya ki nahi?" She added, "Kehte hain ki sach ka samna karna mushkil hota hai, but aaj sach ka samna karne ke liye pure Hans Raj College ne himmat jootayi hai."
"

Arvind Gaur (L) and acting principal of Hans Raj College, Rama Sharma (BCCL)