Rockstar Moves

Deeper Fried Jam began with 8216;jam8217; sessions with musician Ashim Ghosh in her garage-studio. And 10 days before the premiere, videographer Surajit Sarkar joined in. 8220;I8217;ve worked with recorded music before,8221; elaborates Rao, whose creations usually evolve from solo rehearsals in her studio, interacting with found objects, everyday incidents and her thoughts. 8220;But this was a full-fledged partnership, each one planting new inputs,8221; she says, explaining that Deeper Fried Jam includes new episodes and more spontaneity. Ghosh8217;s music sparked movements and dialogues8212;with a camera recording these small improvisations.

8220;Surajit experimented during rehearsals. Or brought clips that acted as stimuli,8221; she recalls, adding, 8220;We8217;ve grown up on the same music8212;Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin8212;which naturally lead to the confluence of ideas.8221;

DFJ is presented like a rock show, with Ghosh playing various instruments, Sarkar projecting live recordings, Rao8212;in psychedelic garb8212;crooning songs, dancing across the ramp-stage and musing out dialogues. The frenetically-paced episodes represent urban life: nostalgia Delhi in jamun season, prejudice The Other we don8217;t want in our neighbourhood, competition faster technology with satisfaction guaranteed, violence let8217;s get her, creativity tapping the rhythm within. So the slipper in the Gujarat episode assumes demonic proportions, when the camera juxtaposes it with a map, money and bloodstains. 8220;I8217;ve always wanted to bring Gandhi on stage,8221; she says about his image on currency notes, 8220;It8217;s an everyday face no one looks at. But he8217;s not really an everyday person in our minds.8221;

She does meet people who feel they didn8217;t understand the entire performance. 8220;But they say, 8216;Hum bhaav mein aa gaye.8217; I can8217;t analyse meanings from my sub-conscious. But if it triggers memories from your experience, you make it your own,8221; she reasons, continuing, 8220;There8217;s improvisation on stage too. Ashim plays a variant note, bringing new thoughts and moves. Every show is different.8221;

After the NSD festival, Women8217;s Theatre festival Delhi, House of World Cultures shows Berlin and the Prithvi festival Mumbai, Rao is now taking DFJ to the Other Festival Chennai and Kolkata. 8220;Shows are planned in Delhi colleges too. Youngsters, in a state of shift, identify with issues of politics, nostalgia, love and self-identity,8221; she believes.

Of the 20-odd episodes, seven to eight feature in a show. The team also tries to incorporate events occurring on the day of the staging. 8220;And we8217;d like an all-night performance, like traditional theatre. We have disco nights and rave parties8212;it8217;ll be interesting to see how this translates into contemporary theatre,8221; Rao enthuses. As for future projects: 8220;It8217;s the process, the journey, that challenges me. But I get easily bored, so I need to excite myself, before making something new.8221;