In 2011, when Shaili Sathyu, the founder of Gillo Repertory Theatre, staged the group’s second play Kyun Kyun Ladki , little did she know it would go on to have a six-year run. This Friday, as the play completes its 42nd show, it will conclude its run in the public sphere. The silver lining though is that, Sathyu plans to continue to stage it for NGOs and schools. The story, based on Mahashweta Devi’s well-known picture-storybook The Why-Why Girl , celebrates the free spirit of children. It tells the story of Moyna, a tribal girl, who is curious, kind and independent. Performed through dance, movement and live music, the play shows glimpses of the lives and minds of many kids through Moyna who always asks the question ‘Why?’
After its premiere at the Prithvi Summertime in 2011, Kyun Kyun Ladki has been performed for schools, at theatre festivals and at theatres across Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Patna and Delhi, including TIFLI, International Theatre Festival for Young Audiences, Mumbai Literature Festival and Junoon's Arts at Play for Schools.
Sathyu, who has both written and directed the play, says, “When we had opened it six years ago, I honestly felt that we would do only five shows as it was very experimental for us. I never imagined that we would get such a warm response.”
She adds that what appealed to her about the story was Moyna’s character. Sathyu was curious to explore and showcase how a child’s mind works. “Every child can be seen in this character. Through the story of Moyna, I’m showing the story of every curious child. That is what even Mahashweta Devi had written in the preface of her book,” she states.
Over the years, Sathyu has received myriad responses, most of which have left her beaming with pride. “Last year when we had a show in Mumbai, a girl walked up to me and said, “The best thing I liked about the play was that we could make our own story.” She was happy that she didn’t feel the pressure of deciphering it according to what her parents felt. This was in sync with what I wanted to communicate. Before every show, I always tell the audience that how they perceive the story is up to them. Similarly in the year 2011, we were in Pune and after the show, a five-year-old boy asked his mother, “Did you understand the play? Or should I explain it to you?” And it was such a heartening sign,” Sathyu recounts with a smile.
Quiz her if she feels the story has struck a chord with today’s kids who are exposed to technology since an early age and Sathyu retorts, “I don’t agree with the perspective that today’s kids are no longer innocent. The idea of innocence in children is an adult concept. The innocence is there, it’s only for us to see it and give it space. It’s totally authoritarian for us to think and dictate what they should be like and lament on what they are not. In fact, the more you label them, the more they will surprise you. This is what I have learnt after working with kids for so many years,” Sathyu emphasises.
The production has remained the same in terms of dialogues and music over the years but the actors essaying Moyna’s role have changed. “Four girls have played Moyna over the years and each one has brought her own energy. It’s been an interesting and engaging process. We have tried to embellish the character with the actor’s personality as well. My only brief to them was that they should own the character and do it in their way. The parallel stories that we have created have been created from the childhood memories of all the actors. The most important aspect has been to ensure that the performers have a sense of ownership about the play and perform it in a non-dramatic style.”
Kyun Kyun Ladki will be staged on June 2 at 12 noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Prithvi Theatre, Juhu
