That Tagore’s life and work was shaped to an astounding extent by the influence of his muse and sister-in-law Kadambari Devi is no secret. And indeed it even led him to sculpt a number of his most popular characters such as Bimala or Charulata on his interpretation of Kadambari. But bringing modern fans of the polymath a saucy and modern interpretation of three of Tagore’s women — both real and fictional is the aim behind acclaimed musician and playwright Isheeta Ganguly's upcoming musical stage production, Three Women.
Set around a conversation between Bimala — Tagore’s heroine in The Home and The World, Charulata — from his other influential work The Broken Nest and Kadambari herself, the play, although a tribute to Tagore on the outside is much more than that, according to its organisers. “At the heart of this production is the modern woman’s search for a sense of purpose,” says Dipika Roy, who plays the character of Kadambari Devi.
Telling us more about the characters and their different shades, Dipika adds, “Not much has been written or spoken about Kadambari, who committed suicide when Tagore was still in his younger years. But from what we do know and from the research I’ve done, in retrospect she comes across as the quintessential 21st century woman stuck in a different time. So there are shades to her character that I think every woman can connect with and she also portrays and brings out the underlying angst and insecurity in every woman who wants to express herself but couldn’t.”
But while the play does have a philosophical colour to it, it is not at all heavy in its flavour, adds Dipika. “It is conversational and musical in its nature and brings out the characters in a new light. So actually it is quite a light-hearted presentation. The conversation brings out the angst of Kadambari towards the other two and Tagore himself and the bright colours with which he painted both Bimala and Charulata — who each add a very different interpretation. So as you peel away each of these characters you see how composite they are.”
And just like most productions that take a cue from history or literature, there is much for the modern audience to relate to as well, she adds. “Whether you know the context or not, the general direction of the production is to take from the confusion in these women’s heart and leading it into clarity.”
The play stars Dipika Roy, Amrita Bagchi and Avantika Ganguly and will be staged at the NCPA today at 7.30 pm
