“It took me more than a month to internalise and to get into the character of a homosexual on stage. It wasn’t easy to emote the mannerisms or portray the psyche appropriately,” says
National School of Drama
alumnus
Hardik Shah, who is bringing his
play
,
Kiss of the Spider Woman
, to Bengaluru for the first time. The storyline follows the conversation between two inmates, who are sharing a cell in a prison. Kiran is a ‘stereotypical homosexual window-dresser’, who has a few charges against him, while Divy has been arrested for his revolutionary activities to overthrow the government.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is the stage adaptation of a popular 1976 novel of the same name by Argentine writer,
Manuel Puig
. Courtesy Mumbai-based
Five Senses Theatre Group
, this 100-minute Hindi play will be staged at
Ranga Shankara
on June 15, featuring actors Mukti Das, Rana Kamal and Hardik.
“In the course of their conversation within the confines of a jail, these two seemingly opposite characters form an intimate bond, which culminate in a kissing scene on stage. The play delves into the complexities of human nature, and raises a few difficult questions in the process. The set design — that of a dimly-lit cell — is kept minimal. It’s the dialogues that take the narrative forward. A number of symbolic elements have been used in the play,” says Hardik, who has designed and directed the play.
So, was it a conscious decision to adapt a script that revolves around a homosexual personality as one of its primary characters? “Not really, but the stigma attached to the LGBTQIA+ community has always disturbed me. As a society, we still judge people largely on the basis of their gender. Sex education, be it at school or at home, is still a hushed topic of discussion. These factors inspired me to read the book, and eventually take it to stage,” says the director, adding, “The plot demands a kissing scene between two men. This made me a little apprehensive during the first few shows of the play, as to whether or not the audience would accept it. But the responses have been positive so far.”
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