A powerful one-woman show

Acclaimed theatre director Arvind Gaur has a habit of picking up social issues, and celebrated actor Lushin Dubey has a knack of delivering brilliant solo performances.

When the two come together, it gives rise to something as powerful as I will not cry — a theatre-multimedia solo act by Lushin on the alarming rate of child deaths in India.

It is nothing like anything you have seen before. Lushin juggles a total of eight characters in her one-hour act. All that helps her is a screen flashing a few pre-recorded scenes and information, and minimal music. The script, Lushin’s performance and the direction are awe-inspiring. No wonder, the audience gave them a standing ovation when they staged it recently at the India Habitat Centre (IHC).

It is a regular panel discussion on a news channel on the subject ‘child deaths in India.’ The four panelists, all played by Lushin, are the most unfitting to discuss the subject. An old bureaucrat rattles off schemes, plans, funds and statistics when questioned on the dismal situation.

A ‘socialite’ blames it all on ‘overpopulation’ and wishes Sanjay Gandhi’s mass castration programmes are brought back. Another ‘celebrity’ advocates candle marches, and a social worker, tries in vain to highlight the causes of the malaise. Lushin, as the anchor of the news programme, strings it all together.

It is amazing how Lushin switches between the characters- making modifications in her costume and voice- in seconds. However, the most remarkable part is when she changes into a sari-clad illiterate village woman, who has just lost her child, from the chic news anchor with an accent, in a moment. Her initially village-woman like awkward relating of the events leading to the mishap culminates into a heart-rending cry for help.

She then goes on to play the characters of a doctor narrating her helplessness in saving infants and a slum-boy in Delhi who loses his infant sister. The last act gives a perfect portrayal of child deaths in urban India, a phenomenon generally related with villages only.

An exhausted, but elated, Lushin told Metrolife after her performance, “A year back, I was invited to an event organised by the ‘Save the children’ foundation. Here, I and guests like MP Najma Heptullah, journalist Sagarika Ghosh and others were asked to relate our delivery experiences.

Though painful as always, our deliveries took place in the best hospitals, in the care of trained doctors and presence of family members. Then we were showed clippings of how poor women give birth in villages.

It was astounding, women delivering at the hands of untrained dais, in filthy conditions and many dying of blood loss. Then we were asked what we can do for them. I said I’ll make a play on it. Arvindji scripted and directed it and here we are with I will not cry.”

Director Arvind Gaur adds, “Around 5000 infants die in India every day due to birth-related complications. It’s a medical emergency and yet no one takes it seriously. I am glad we took the subject up. Child deaths being a hard subject and it being a solo show posed many creative challenges to me, but by God’s grace it has turned out nicely. To see the audience happy, gives us the ultimate high. Lushin and I hope to do many such shows together in future and take up similarly significant socio-political issues.”