The mesmerizing ‘Dopehri’, a monoact narration / play written by Pankaj Kapur and produced by Supriya Pathak, was presented at the Collins Arts Center in Andover on October 14 and brought to us by Neha Sawhney of Generation Bollywood. The story revolves around the life of an old woman Amma Bi who’s almost living alone in a ‘laal haveli’ in the Nawabi city of Lucknow with only two people attending to her; her servant Jumman and her husband’s friend Dr. Saxena. When one delves deeper into the play’s title, it might seem to be a misnomer as the protagonist’s life is neither warm nor sunny.

However, as the play unfolds Amma Bi’s journey from loneliness to self-discovery grabs your attention so much so that you actually start considering yourself as an integral part of her life. Sabeha, who enters the scene as a paying guest not only becomes a daughter to Amma Bi but also ends up helping her to rediscover her own identity – Mumtaz Siddique – which had got lost in the maze of relationships. The mono act narration by Pankaj Kapur from Amma Bi’s impactful tone to Jumman’s submissiveness; every character leaves an impact, and receives a standing ovation from the audience.

|