When popular theatre actor Niti Sayeed decided to make her directorial debut,she was clear on the subject. Through my play,I want to reflect on the deteriorating status of women. In many cases,the woman has submitted to this domination because she considers it her duty, says Sayeed. Titled The Undoing,the play revolves around three women from widely different sociocultural,political and national backgrounds. The first is a woman from a liberal family,who marries a man from a small town. The story reflects her frustrations on being subjugated by cultural structures. In the second story,love battles terror,as a woman loses her husband and her son to jihad. The third strand of the play is set in Afghanistan and revolves around a woman who has been married off to a man 20 years older to her. When she falls in love with a man her age,she is accused of adultery and must face a brutal punishment. The three women are entwined together in their destiny as they brood,suffer and jostle with the ever-tightening jaws of this patriarchal society, says Sayeed,who is best known for her performances as Ghalibs wife in Pierrot Troupe productions such as Ghalib ke Khat and Ghalib in New Delhi. Sayeed has also played eight characters,including four men,in a monologue titled Tumko Chahun. The Undoing will be staged on July 21 at Sri Ram Centre. Contact: 23714307
