by Pankaj Rishi Kumar
India, 2019
53min
Kausalya lost her husband (Shankar), when they were attacked by her own family. They had married against their families wishes. Deeply disturbed by a spate of honor killings in India, Indianostrum, a Pondicherry based theatre group sets out to introspect the implications of caste, class and gender. They adapt Shakespeare's ‘Romeo and Juliet’. What emerges in the process is a critical reflection and commentary of the contemporary Indian society where love struggles to survive. Pankaj Rishi Kumar subtly keeps introducing the layers of complexity into the film by weaving-in the making of the play, “Chandala”. The dialogue between the theatre director and the actors to adapt the play into the Indian context works as a Greek chorus and keeps the viewer engaged. “You are Juliet’s messengers to me,” the director tells the women cast. As they dig deeper into their own psyche, we also question – why it was all about Romeo even in Shakespeare’s time. Why do we not know more about Juliet? … A poetic, political exploration of love (Kavita & Nandan--thehindu.com)
Pankaj Rishi Kumar | Director, Writer, Producer, Sound Design, Camera, Editing
Rajiv Mehrotra | Producer
C Vinayak Ram | Location Sound
Pritam Das | Sound Mixing
10 October | 17:30
