The Hindi Dramatics Society of Miranda House, Anukriti, in association with Theatre Kingdom presented “Manto Ki Auratein” which included stories like Khol Do, Mozail, Dus Rupaye and others on 4th March 2015 with two shows at 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. Directed by Mr. Arvind Gaur and assisted by Shilpi Marwaha, the show was an inspiration in itself. At 12:15, the doors to the auditorium were opened for the students of Miranda House. An enormous and enthusiastic crowd flooded in to witness the unveiling of the magic weaved into Manto’s powerful stories and the heartfelt performances promised by Anukriti.
For the uninitiated; Saadat Hasan Manto, a controversial writer was famed for his short stories in Urdu. He was also a film and radio scriptwriter and a journalist. He was tried in the courts six times for the alleged obscenity of his stories. He always believed in showing the real picture and his honest and blunt ways were not easily accepted by the Indian society. He was devoted to revealing the naked truth of our society as, being a writer, covering up was not his business.
The stories performed in the Miranda House auditorium, on a Wednesday noon, touched the hearts of every individual present. The completely packed room emphatically heaved a sigh as each story came to an end. The performances were so well delivered that connecting to each character became an easy task and came as naturally to the audience as having lived the life being unfolded on stage. The stories, written years ago, can still be related to by the women of today, which goes to show the stagnant and hopeless condition of life in our society. The heart wrenching cries of the actors moved the audience deeply and reality stood stark naked on the stage. The directors, executors, sound department, back-stage artists, all garnered much deserved applause for the creation of a show that left the audience with chilling sensations.
Short yet simple, the stories had effects that hour long mainstream movies fail to produce. Revolving around prostitution, suicides, riots, child exploitation, sexual harassment and religious violence the tales questioned a woman’s fate in India. The protagonist’s act of dropping her clothes to the very sound of ‘khol do’ showed the horror and fright embedded in her heart. With a newfound respect for theatre, this show was more than a success and with Women’s Day round the corner, it made every woman in the room look into the mirror that Manto had placed in front of us.
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