Gay love, oppression themes at theatre awards

New Delhi, March 12: A gay man’s lonesome quest for love, the psychological state of people in conflict zones, understanding politics of migration through sardines - such stories will come alive on stage in the capital from March 21.

Ten plays in different Indian languages have been shortlisted for the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) and each one touches upon issues like mythology, social evils and discrimition.

Director Happy Rajit’s “A Straight Proposal” talks about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of India through the story of a gay man who is in search of love and it is through a diary that darker shades of his life are revealed.

Malayalam play “Mathi” uses sardines as a metaphor. The fish, a cheap and nutritious item eaten by all classes of the society, brings together stories of migration and binds people together.

Bilingual (Hindi and English) play “Kaumudi” is about a rite of passage. Using the “moonlit timeless night”, when Krish delivers his sermon to Arju, the play explores the dymics between an estranged father-son duo.

Through their conversation, it asks questions like “Whose life is more valuable, an older or a younger person’s”, “Is persol ethic more important than public ethic”, “Does art have a function, and do we make art or does art make us”. (ians)