Religion and communal conflict have been the central theme of many plays in our country and frankly most of us have gotten quite bored of it. But Still Waters’ latest offing : ‘Dust Motes From A Sun Beam’ will show you that these problems have been imbibed in us to such an extent that we can’t ignore them. The play shows us that there are so many different facets to communal discord in our country.
Set in the backdrop of the Gujarat riots in 2002, the play revolves around two completely different women who are brought together. Ratna and Sameera are from different communities, different backgrounds and have a notable age gap as well. Falling somewhat into stereotypes, Ratna is the successful city lawyer, social activist and an occasional page 3 celebrity and Sameera is the small town conservative muslim girl.
 Though the characters seem like stereotypes, they have been written and executed well, credit to director/writer Vijay Nair and the leads Sukhita Aiyar and Pooja Hegde. Both the actors share a great rapport between them and therefore, the audience are eased into their world.
The set design is beautiful and complements the direction. The space was also used well and added to the visual appeal.
The play is an hour-long and though at times may tangent into surreal conversations, it does keep your interest aroused.
While some of the conversations, metaphors and emotions still remain a bit hazy, at the end of it, the audience is left more with the experience of seeing flashes from the lives of these two women.
The last day of the performance is today (Saturday). The play is on at the Alliance Francaise at 7.30 pm. Tickets are priced at Rs 100.