Even when we are pacing with technology, the lasting impression of oral narratives cannot be overshadowed. In the play
Freedom Begum
, nostalgia, anecdotes, baffling contradictions and even speculations take centerstage, as it attempts to retell the story of
Begum Mahal — who, some say, was a person, while others heard of it as having been a bungalow in the bygone era. What remains now, however, is a bus stop named Begum Mahal in
Ulsoor
.
Her compassion and the sense of inclusiveness that she showed towards the
transgender community and working-class people during her times is what makes it worth tracing her journey. It’s also a reminder for the contemporary society that despite the landmark verdict, there is still a dearth of safe spaces for people from the community, where they can express themselves fearlessly.
Rumi Harish
, who has written the script of the play, says, “It all began when I, along with Sunil Mohan and Radhika Raj, were working on a research paper. However, such studies often remain confined to the academic world. And we wanted to take the story of Begum Mahal to the people. A theatrical piece, thus, felt more apt and relevant.”
The storyline comprises oral narratives of transgender individuals, labourers, scrap dealers, tea sellers and auto-rickshaw drivers, together with interviews of people from nearby gurudwara, temples, churches and dargas. “In an effort to give a more authentic appeal, we have used the narratives in various languages —Kannada, English, Hindi, Dakhani Urdu, Tamil and Malayalam. The script reflects different perceptions about Begum, her son and the
mahal,” adds Rumi. It also puts focus on the undocumented and neglected history of the city’s transgender community.
The multi-lingual play is helmed by Chennai-based
theatre
actor-director-playwright A Mangai, while the cast includes Shilpa Mudbi (who is also the play’s assistant director), Saravana S, Sowmiya V, Sreekanth Kannan, Sonu Niranjan, Shobhana Kumari, Sathyakala K, Sahana Nagaraj, Roy Sinai, Suhas Shivanna and Abhinav Vishwanathan.
Presented by Raahi,
Freedom Begum is supported by India Foundation for the Arts, under the Project 560 programme. The play will be staged at the
Ravindra Kalakshetra
on July 30.
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