Allwomen play to question refugee crisis in the world
The state of Syrian refugees is well known. In fact, the state of any refugee is pitiable and therefore the refugee crisis the world over is one of the major concerns of our times. It was thus difficult for film and theatre practitioner Ramanjit Kaur to shield herself from its impact. “I’m looking for answers to questions that crop up in my mind,” says Kaur.
Her search for the unanswered made the Kolkata-based actordirector come up with the play Beyond Borders, which will be staged in Delhi as part of the ongoing Old World Theatre Festival 2018. Kaur explains, “Geographical borders created by man can be seen. Religious borders can be debated. But, maximum devastation happens by the boundaries that humans create within their minds. The refugee situation today shows how personal and national freedom all comes down to power and greed.”
This multi-layered allwomen production is performed by actors who received rigorous training in different martial arts. “The play celebrates the spirit of inclusivity. It has dialogues in seven languages and is performed by more than 20 women,” adds Kaur.
Since the performances touches upon issues that aren’t much spoken about due to fear of being banned, Kaur says, “My friends and colleagues who got to know that I was working on it told me that I would be put in jail for this. But, I said if that happens, then I’ll do this play from inside the jail!”