‘Daag,’ the play, explores class and ambition through the life of a tailor

Suman Chakraborty’s Daag follows Bindiya, a tailor, challenging social hierarchies. To be staged in Bengaluru, it is a tale of class, dreams, and survival

Updated - October 30, 2024 02:35 pm IST

Stills from rehearsals of ‘Daag’

Stills from rehearsals of ‘Daag’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Daag, co-directed by Suman Chakraborty and Shruti Rao, invites its audience into an exploration of class, ambition, and moral struggle through the life of Bindiya, a tailor with aspirations for a better life.

Bindiya’s reality — a small tailor’s shop and a world of constant financial stress — collides with her lofty dreams. Suman, who wrote the story and envisioned it first as a short film, says his debut direction has deepened his connection to the material. “It’s surreal, seeing my words take shape on stage,” he says. As the performance date approaches, Suman acknowledges the enormity of his debut, even as he embraces the challenges it brings. “I’ve learned so much in these months, and every rehearsal reveals something new,” he says, thanking his co-director Shruti. “It’s a relentless pursuit of understanding this story and these characters better.”

“I wrote Daag imagining society as a pyramid, where power dynamics and exploitation, overt or subtle, dictate interactions at every level.”

Stills from rehearsals of ‘Daag’

Stills from rehearsals of ‘Daag’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bindiya’s life, situated near the pyramid’s base, is shaped by daily indignities as customers demand last-minute orders or pay less than her labour deserves. “In a way, Bindiya’s story mirrors the lives of so many who serve without ever getting what they truly deserve,” says Suman, “And I wanted to question if this exploitation can ever really end.”

To bring Daag’s themes of class and survival to life, Suman immersed himself in real-world observations, from childhood memories of sweet shop workers in Kolkata (who could not eat the very sweets they made) to interactions with local artisans. For instance, his conversations with a neighbourhood tailor lent insight into Bindiya’s world — her tools, techniques, and the mental resolve needed to navigate long hours of craft with meagre financial reward. He also drew inspiration from his professional life in the software industry, where “social status dictates how people treat each other, from parking attendants to colleagues.”

Challenging the status-quo

Dramarsis, co-founded in 2019 by Suman, has always prioritised plays with originality and social relevance. Their previous productions, Endings, used absurdist humour to address gender roles, and, Aparajita, celebrated female resilience across time. With Daag, the group takes on the stark realities of class and power dynamics. “As a team, we’re dedicated to making our theatre a safe space, both on stage and off,” says Suman. “Our goal is to tell stories that challenge audiences, while also respecting the creative voices behind each production.”

Suman admits he does not have answers to the questions his play raises. “There’s something deeply human about this play, and it’s not about solving anything, but about holding up a mirror to our own roles in this hierarchy,” he says. “At the end of the day, Daag isn’t just about Bindiya; it’s about all of us and how we choose to interact with the world around us.”

In exploring Bindiya’s story, Daag opens a rare window into the psyche of a working woman with little control over her daily interactions but an irrepressible desire to break free from her circumstances. The play’s conclusion leaves Bindiya — and the audience — contemplating the broader human condition: what are the consequences of our collective reliance on hierarchy, and can personal ambition coexist with social responsibility?

Daag (30 minutes) will be staged on November 2, 6.30pm, at Ranga Shankara.

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