Girls Uninterrupted

From two ends of India come two theatre groups united by the same credo if men can do it well,women can do it wonderfully well.

Two troupes from Manipur and Kerala have women taking centre stage

From two ends of India come two theatre groups united by the same credo if men can do it well,women can do it wonderfully well. These are Nireeksha Womens Theatre from Kerala and the Moirang Parva from Manipur,both of which are part of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav,the ongoing theatre festival at the National School of Drama.

Most theatre groups are run by men,with women often cast in stereotypical roles, says Rajeshwari,producer of Nireeksha. Ten years ago,we decided to reverse that trend. Nireeksha has women at the helm,and men are hired only if the production requires them. Nireeksha staged Pravaachaka on Friday while Moirang Parva will close the theatre festival with Love Story of Khamba-Thoibi on Monday.

But at Moirang Parva,even the male roles are played by women. The only guy in the troupe is Loitongbam Dorendra of the Imphal Theatre Group,who directs the 20 actors of Moirang Parva. He says,Moirang Parva is a traditional folk art form of Manipur that was almost dead in 1975 when a group of women decided to revive it. Since then,it has been performed only by women. From the original cast,only his wife L Chaobadevi is part of the present troupe.

Nireeksha is arguably the only womens theatre group in Kerala,and when Pravaachaka got an award for Best Actress at the Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi last year,Rajeshwari knew they had finally made it after years of battling ridicule and funds crunch. This is their first outing at the NSD festival. Few people believed a womens theatre group stood any chance, she says. Had it been easy going,it wouldnt have taken us a decade to stage our first major play. The group aims to train excellent women technicians apart from award-winning actors.

Not surprisingly,the plays have a strong political message about women in a mans world. Moirang Parva tells the tale of a princess who defies her fathers diktat and social conventions for the sake of love. The king wants her to marry the nobleman Nongbam but Thoibi loves the orphan Khamba. In one scene,she visits Khamba in the dead of the night and in another,she defends him with knife, says Dorendra. Pravaachaka,which revisits the myth of Cassandra,highlights how women never start wars but always suffer the consequences. No heroine weeps in our plays,even after the rapes and abuse that follows the Trojan war, says Rajeshwari.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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Girls Uninterrupted

From two ends of India come two theatre groups united by the same credo  if men can do it well,women can do it wonderfully well.

From two ends of India come two theatre groups united by the same credo if men can do it well,women can do it wonderfully well.