We all know of Devika Rani because of the films she did in her career spanning over a decade (1930-40). But not many know about her struggles and journey to stardom. Veteran actress and director Lillete Dubey will bring her alive on stage. The play Devika Rani, Goddess of the Silver Screen, will premiere in Pune on August 31. While Ira Dubey plays the title role, Joy Sengupta, Rishi Khurana, Nandita Dubey, Aakanksha Kadre, Pranav Sachdev and Kashyap Shangari, also star in it.
The event has been organised by Showhouse and the play will be staged in other cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Baroda later.
Lillete says that she had told Kishwar Desai, her friend and the writer of the story, that she did not intend to make it as a Devika Rani biopic. “I wanted to tell the story of the real Devika; the film world is the backdrop to the story. I am not talking about all her films. It’s about her real life in the reel world,” says Lillete, adding, “Her story is very vast — almost 80 years. I was interested in the period just before she joined films, when she met Himanshu Rai (her first husband) and how her life changed when she left it all at the age of 37. She never wanted to come back to showbiz which was very remarkable considering a lot of actresses, after a few years of break, long to come back.”
‘Her story is interesting and inspiring’
When you ask Lillete why she felt compelled to tell the story of Devika Rani, she says, “I am interested in original work and that’s why I set up my own company. I want to take my work and the work by Indian writers which has universal appeal, abroad. I am always looking for Indian stories.”
She points out that she works on a project if she finds a story interesting whether it’s about sexual abuse, Gandhian philosophy, a Bharatanatyam dancer or Zen Buddhism.
It was Kishwar who informed her that she was writing a book on Devika Rani. When she shared the story with her, Lillete found it interesting and inspiring. “Kishwar was telling me things about Devika. Of course, we know a little bit but Kishwar had found many intriguing materials through letters that Devika had written to several people. These letters are not in the public domain,” says Lillete.
She calls Devika a real trailblazer who had broken many glass ceilings. “She was the great grand niece of Rabindranath Tagore. When she joined the industry, she opened the doors for educated women. Before her, tawaifs (dancing girls) or sex workers who had lost their job, used to work in films. Immediately after Devika, many other women joined films. She was independent, spirited, spicy and very much her own. In the play, you will see how she went through struggles and fought at every stage.”
Also Devika, says Lilette, was a powerhouse of talent. “She was known for her beauty and she was a costume designer, art director and co-owner of a studio. She was contemporary, yet her journey shows that things haven’t changed in 100 years; it highlights the struggles of a woman in a patriarchal world,” says the director.
She also talks about Devika Rani giving up the opportunity to work in Hollywood to run her studio. “In 1933, she had got lots of offers from Hollywood and she could have gone there but she followed her dreams and helped Himanshu set up India’s truly international studio called Bombay Talkies,” Lillete informs.
‘I want actors who are dedicated’
Lillete has directed several actors for her plays. She says that she likes working with people who have no attitude and do not come with any baggage. “Theatre is a very democratic place. It doesn’t matter who you are because everyone is equal here,” she says.
And what are the qualities that she looks for in actors? “You have to have the talent to perform and play the role. Some actors are very versatile and some are limited, in the sense they are good for certain parts, but not for all. In many of my plays, I have to use my actors in many roles, sometimes in two or three roles, because I cannot travel with many actors. In a way, they have to be a little versatile. In addition to that, they also have to work hard and do homework on their character,” she says.
In a city like Mumbai, commitment to theatre is important, she feels. “It’s very difficult to do theatre here because there are so many entertainment options. You can do commercials, TV, films, host events, and these are all money-making propositions. To willingly give up that and commit yourself to a play for rehearsals, when it does not pay that kind of money, requires a lot of commitment, dedication and love for the form,” she observes.
‘My female protagonists are never weak’
Lillete has directed critically acclaimed plays including Salaam Noni Appa, Gauhar, Kanyadaan and others. Those who follow her work, will know that she likes telling stories of strong women. Is it because she herself is a strong personality? The actress-director says that she doesn’t do that consciously. “I have also told stories which had strong male protagonists but when I look back at my work, I do notice that there have been many strong female characters. Having said that, in a play like Dance Like A Man, it’s not just a strong female character because the male protagonist is equally strong. Let’s put it this way, my female protagonists are never weak,” she says.
She also believes that if women don’t tell stories of other women, who will? “May be because I am a woman, I get attracted to the stories of women. We have to tell our own stories. Also, I have two daughters and now I have grand daughters, I am so full of women around me,” she says with a chuckle.
‘Everybody on the road will not see a play’
English theatre is known to be restricted to a certain class. Will the right education help it reach the masses? Lillete, who has mostly directed English plays along with Hindi, says that theatre is not for the masses. “It’s not cinema and I learnt it long time back when I joined theatre. Everybody on the road will not see a play. One film of mine on a weekend will reach lakhs of people but If I do one or even two shows on a weekend, maximum 2000 people will watch it. This is by nature a selective medium,” she says before signing off.
ST Reader Service
Catch Devika Rani: Goddess of the Silver Screen on August 31 at Nehru Memorial Hall, 4, Atur Foundation, Dr Ambedkar Road at 7.30 pm
