26/11 revisited

Theatre actor,director and playwright Divya Palat’s play,26/11 A Personal War,is one such venture that gives out a positive message of hope and urges us to value our lives. It comprises monologues of seven survivors who bore the brunt of these attacks at different locations of Mumbai on November 26,2008. Apart from writing,directing and producing,Palat is also acting in the play. The rest of the cast comprises Aditya Hitkari,Vivan Bhatena,Anuradha Menon,Khushboo Hitkari-Bhasme,Sanket Mhatre and Vatsala Kothari. As a mark of respect,all the proceeds of the play will be donated to the Mumbai Police Commissionerate.

While Palat plays herself watching television at her home,Bhatena is a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel,Hitkari is a lawyer who is having dinner at the Trident Hotel,Menon is a news reporter,Hitkari-Bhasme is a Bollywood actress,Kothari is a commuter at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station and Mhatre is a student at the Leopold Cafe.

Interestingly,the play was a catharsis for Palat who was deeply affected by these attacks. She says,“I was not being able to deal with this incident. I had become fearful of everything that happened. That’s when I turned to poetry and writing. I had written a poem about the Taj. Later,I thought of writing a play. Rather than the sadness and anger that everyone felt,I wanted to focus on the survivors and tell what they learnt from the incident.”

The performer was also peeved by the complacent attitude amongst everyone after the attacks. Rather than waiting for the change to happen,she decided to take things in her own hand. “Change begins with you. Rather than sitting back and saying what can I do,we should take the first step and be proactive.”

Palat started off her research last year. She sought the help of then police commissioner D Sivanandan to get the initial contact details of the survivors. She also asked her friends and relatives,read stories on the newspaper and the internet. When she met the victims’ families,she focused on learning what they felt through the entire night and how it altered their lives forever.

Gradually,the director learnt that the survivors realised the value of their lives. “We have one life to live. But honestly,we don’t have to go through such a gruesome incident to value our lives,family and friends. During those 48 hours,the survivors felt that they would never hear from their families,they missed their children and grandparents. The terrorists want to spread widespread chaos. If you allow anger and fear to dominate your lives,you are letting them win,” she says.

She decided to donate the proceeds of the play to the Mumbai Commissionerate so that the money can be used to buy safer equipment and better uniforms for cops.

After listening to the survivors’ stories,she compiled all the accounts and then wrote her own version as she didn’t want reveal their identities. The play is divided into four parts: the evening of 26/11 with the survivors at different venues, the actual terror attack,their bid to escape while the final part focuses on where they are today and how these attacks have changed their lives forever.

The play which has already been staged at the Edinburgh Fringe festival,the world’s largest arts festival,last year,has also won an Amnesty International Award. It will now be performed at the New York International Fringe festival this month at the Broadway. Palat says,“Last year,we got a tremendous response from the audience. People had tears in their eyes while watching the play. After the performance,they came up to us and shared their own experiences when they had lost their near and dear ones during similar terror attacks across the world.”

26/11 A Personal War will be staged at the National Centre for The Performing Arts on August 4.