Artline

A graduate from Bennington College 1992-95 with a major in theatre directing and lighting design, she furthered her training in theatre design from the Motley Design School, UK 1993-94. On her return to India, Zuleikha has been working like a mole, quietly earning a formidable reputation at work. Her directorial debut was with Bertolt Bercht8217;s 8220;The private life of the master race8221; quot;The exception and the rule8221; in 1994, Garcia Lorca8217;s 8220;The house of Bernada Albaquot; and Bertolt Brecht8217;s 8220;The elephant galf8221; in 1995, Harward Baker8217;s 8220; Judith8221; and 8220;Scenes from an execution8221; in 1996 to name just a few.

Zuleikha has been the lighting person for 10 productions from assisting Lynn Fernandes for Lilette Dubey8217;s quot;Jayaquot;, to Sunit Tandon8217;s 8220;9 Jakhoo hill8221; by Gurcharan Das, a Yatrik production, and of course 8220;Joseph and his Technicolor Dream Coat8221; at St. Johns school, Chandigarh.

At 25, Zuleikha is very much her own person. Having grown up with visual art and theatre as playmates 8212; she is the grandaughter of E. Alkazi, the eponymous director of the NSD in the 70s, and is the daughter of theatre director Amal Allana and Nissar Allana, a trained medical practitioner who gave a new direction to the concept of set and light design in India in the 708217;s.

quot;I always knew I would direct8221; says Zuleikha with cool confidence. Intensely involved in theatre, lighting design was a natural corollary. Since she grew up with theatre, how come Zuleikha did not become an actor as well? 8220;I8217;m shy on stage, I do not have any desire to be there. My background in lighting was something I took interest in when I was 15 or 16 years old. I started working with my dad.

I enjoyed doing it, it is something personal, quiet far away from the actors, it8217;s a process of observation and learning for me. It8217;s a learning process. I learn as a director. When I am watching a play I am interpreting it in my own way. As a director, I am so intensely involved with actors and people, with light design I am not so involved. I am far away. the light designer is the last person to come on the project. You have to be able to sense what is happening. It is very relaxing. I like it.8221;

A lighting designer has carved a niche for him/herself today. He/she is the one who will decide upon how to light the show. The work is very related to the set designers. Both work together in conjunction with the director. quot;The audience perceives the play through your light. You are manipulating the audience8217;s perception. You are making them see what you think or the director thinks, or the director thinks, and what they should see, not everything. The light is an entity by itself. The actors should know where the light catches them best to further their own performance. It pulses, it is a breathing thing. Though in India, it is not considered a big thing to be a lighting designer.quot;

In the present Indian theatre scenario, there are only two women light designers, Lyn Fernandes, who has been working with Lillette Dubey and now Zuleikha. 8220;The gender thing does come in but you just have to make it clear that you know the work. It is not that difficult particularly with the not so educated men. Once they realize that you know the work, they really appreciate you a lot. Since I look kind of young, so it does work against me. People wonder how much does she know really know. Till now everybody I have worked with have accepted me.8221;

The projects for lighting design Zuleikha has done till now have been ones which have challenged her as a lighting designer. 8220;I tend to use a lot of colors, a lot of side lighting which I learnt when I was in college. I did a lot of work with dancers, in fact I like working with dancers, it is requires much more. With theatre it is more of ambience and faces, but with dance there is face, body and expression.8221;

Zuleikha undoubtedly has been greatly influenced by her father, Nissar. 8220;I have been influenced by my dad8217;s ways of lighting, though both our work is very different. He uses a great number of lights, whereas my work is more minimalistic. But I learnt not to compromise from him. In fact, he has told me that now I have appropriated all his work.8221;

Zuleikha has also derived from other masters. 8220;I was lucky to work with the American director Robert Wilson in Europe for a month. He is an artist, so he thinks visually. He visualizes in a holistic manner. Edward and Appia are two more people whose work I admire. Joseph Svaboda8217;s work fascinates me. He is the won who actually created a lighting projector. He is the one who made moving set panels and creating lighting design.8221;

Back home since 1995, Zuleikha has honed her skills working with directors like Royston, Rajat Kapur, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Krishna Rao, and is off to Ahmedabad to work with Mallika Sarabhai for a production at the National Institute of Design.

8220;My work is very bound to what I am interested in as a director. The two go hand in hand. One does not exist without the other. I am involved heart and soul in my work. it8217;s everything that I am. The way I dress 8212; it stems from the kind of work I do. I find I have to be in work clothes all the time. Even my hair. It is untidy now because I have not had time to get it cut. It8217;s my life.8221; says this bundle of intensity.