Girl Talk

Kanjak deals with a family with many daughters,among them a rebel who decides to break free from the cycle of marriage and early childbirth. She’s seen her mother undergo several abortions in pursuit of a boy child and wants no repeat of it in her own life. Opposing her is society,her own family and everybody’s conviction that the girl will finally give in.

Men and women turn up for the “entertainment” but within minutes,the women begin to respond to the play,clapping or just welling up silently. “Sometimes,they forget it’s a play,” says Lovleen Kaur,another member of the group,adding,“Women from the audience cry and tell us stories of how they were forced to abort female foetuses and how they want their daughters to be afsars (officers).”

“There are 350 villages in Mohali district,where I live,and I decided to dedicate two days of the week for the cause,covering four villages in two days,” says Gupta. Generally,the announcement for the play is made in the local gurdwara a day before,ensuring a sizeable audience. They have had 175 performances so far.

The girls themselves are fighting the odds. Apart from Gupta and Kaur,the actors have been picked from college festivals and groomed. “Many are doing this without their families’ knowledge. That’s why we wrap up by 5 pm so that the actors can be home by evening,” says Gupta.