The actor who stars in Zee Theatre’s teleplay ‘Womanly Voices’ believes theatre is one creative medium which has embraced gender equity in a big way.
When Lillete Dubey approached actor Joy Sengupta to act in her teleplay ‘Womanly Voices’, he instantly accepted the opportunity to play a pivotal part in one of the three stories in the anthology. He says, “This anthology represents women’s voices in Indian literature and presents astonishingly diverse milieus. There are stories such Wajeda Tabassum’s ‘Utran’, Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Shishu’, and Gita Mehta’s haunting ‘The Teacher’s Story’ – mirrors life in all its richness and complexity.”
According to Joy, these stories are universal, insightful, powerful and distinct. ‘The Teacher’s Story’ in which Joy stars is a stark reminder of deep-seated hate and prejudices and he says, “Art must be a reflection of what’s happening around us, be it good, bad or ugly. Art divorced from society can never be relevant. At times, it can even become an intervention of ideas and offer solutions.”
Joy adds that his artistic choices reflect his personal convictions and beliefs as well and says, “In theatre specifically, I tend to tilt towards themes, subjects and perspectives, which are closest to my world view. In that sense, yes, theatre showcases my personal voice as an artist.”
It is a positive sign, he says that women around the world are increasingly using performing arts to discuss gender relations and feminine perspectives and adds, “Their participation in theatre in various capacities, is at its peak at the moment. Perhaps theatre remains one creative medium which has embraced gender equity in a big way.”
When asked why he has always chosen to vociferously speak up for gender issues, Joy responds, “I follow a simple Gandhian philosophy in my life– ‘Truth is truth, even if you are a minority of one.’ So, if you are not scared of the truth, you shouldn’t be scared of speaking it.”
Directed by Lillete Dubey, ‘Womanly Voices’ also stars Suchitra Pillai, Pranav Sachdev, Ira Dubey, Deepika Amin and Adit Bhilare and will air on October 28 on Tata Play Theatre.
