Finding peace in theatre performances

“Don't we all aspire to have peace while we are alive?,” asks drama artiste Savita Rani while speaking about how RIP, the play directed, perfomed and conceived by herself, evolved. Savita’s words flow slowly and thoughtfully; there is no rush. Her hands lie on her lap, calm and still and her face is completely relaxed contrary to the Savita who takes to the stage in a whorl of colour— electrifying, passionate and supremely self-confident. Her play comes from her own innards, feeding from her angst and the overwhelming need to express. She says, “I felt that I was full of societal hypocrisy and bigotry and I needed to speak out desperately. I felt the need of giving voice and form to my angst and took the decision to speak out openly through my work.” The play is being staged in Kochi at Forplay studio today and tomorrow.

RIP was not a word she chose randomly— it was a word she saw mentioned on Facebook, which she had never heard of and which she went seeking the meaning of. Little did she know that she was only tapping the tip of an iceberg.

She says, “I came to know that RIP is an abbreviation of Rest in Peace and it is used to wish well for the soul that no longer occupies a human body; it is more like  a prayer.”

That word got stuck in her mind giving birth to a multitude of questions like “Is it a given for a soul to achieve peace after death? And if it is a surety that the soul always achieves peace, then what is the need of even saying RIP? Why can’t we say this word to soothe the soul of a living being if she/he is experiencing restlessness? A body that goes through so much restlessness in life, both within and outside, in the world, how can there be rest in peace after death? Why can we not rest in peace while we are alive?” The more Savita started dwelling deeper into those questions, the more clarity she started getting about her performance.

Haryana-born, Pondicherry-settled Savita decided to explore the theme with reference to a woman or to be more specific how being a woman makes her restless? Using her own self as a reference point, she started observing her behaviour and social patterns and used those patterns in her work.

Thus, RIP is a soliloquy of a woman who recalls personal experiences and incidents while taking a decision to travel the world with her man. RIP moves forward through the woman’s narration of all that she sees and feels during her travel, including the places she visited and the people she met. During the journey, she questions the culture and social system. The play is a narrative with the interaction of the audience.

The National School of Drama graduate has worked with eminent personalities like Anuradha Kapur, Anamika Haksar, K.S.Rajendran, Suresh Anagali, Harish Khanna, Vivan Sundram etc. She started theatre in 1999 with the group Jatan Natya Manch in her hometown Rohtak which is a political and social theatre group.

Expressing her thoughts about theatre, she says, “When one thinks of drama or theatre, one feels that there must be a written text, lots of  lights, set, music, make up and costumes. All of it is required— it gives a sense of aesthetics to theatre but we must not forget that these are resources which also limit the possibility of theatre. The basic and foremost elements of theatre are the actor (the doer, the performer) and the spectator.”

For the first time, she also decided to come in front of her audience alone, without any prop or proper stage make up. She adds, “It gave me a feeling which was queer and at the same time empowering. I was amazed by the simplicity of my own actions. I felt like carrying it forward.” She has given more thought to the play rather than to the design, costume or set.

Though Savita has visited Kerala during the IFFK and Kochi Biennale, it is the first time she is performing there. Speaking about the cultural scene, she says, “The cultural scene of Kerala is very vast, deep rooted and full of opportunities, especially for young theatre practitioners, compared to North India. Lots of theatre festivals happen here. People here are more aware about theatre work and it can be because of traditional art practices like koodiyattom, kathakali, theyyam etc which are still going strong and which enjoy respectful status.”

Travelling has been a passion both for leisure and work and Savita has travelled to Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Peru and Vienna with her dramas. She also visited Japan for an artist residency programme and attended workshops in London.

Films have come seeking her and she has worked in a few art- house movies like Thathagat, Kajaria and The Hungry.

Before she ends, Savita ruminates, “Theatre is a live medium. There is vulnerability. It doesn’t matter how much you have rehearsed, you make new mistakes every time.”