Case Files

A murder is committed. It seems to be an open-and-shut case; now the murderer has to be sentenced. Yet,in a locked room,as 12 jury members start a cross-fire of questions and arguments,the case reaches a surprising climax. Called 12 Angry Men,the 1954 television drama won American playwright Reginald Rose an Emmy. Nonetheless,for all its heart-stopping suspense,the script has rarely been attempted by Indian actors. The last major production was a play in the 1970s by Ranjit Kapur called Ek Ruka Hua Faisla,which the director went on to adapt into a film in 1986. Now,students of the National School of Drama reprise the play,to be premiered at the First Asian Theatre Schools Festival in Beijing on May 20.

Directed by veteran Kirti Jain,the production is based on Kapur’s script and called Ek Ruka Hua Faisla. It is the story of a 19-year-old boy who has been accused of murdering his father. A guilty verdict means the death sentence. The defendant has a weak alibi and eye-witness accounts could nail him. But,as the 90-minute play evolves,the jurors’ complex personalities and prejudices begin to emerge,determining their final verdict.

“Though the jury system was abolished in India in the 1960s,recent developments like the khap panchayat and trials by media seemed a good enough reference for the play,” says Jain. Instead of 12,the new play has 10 jury members and,unlike the original,they aren’t all men. “The cast,drawn from students,include actors from regions like Manipur and Assam,thus bringing in various accents and allowing us to touch on themes like gender and communal biases,” says Jain. The play is heavier on dialogue than action and the actors speak in Hindi,with a sprinkling of English. It will be staged in Delhi from May 26 to 30.

Contact NSD at 23389402