Is your play about Hindu fundamentalism?
Its theme is Hindu fundamentalism and religious polarisation through cultural symbols. Recent incidents led to its being written.
Are you intimidated by the threat to ban it?
We are shocked. We had been hearing of bans by the government and then suddenly a Delhi University play was being threatened.
It has been termed ‘anti-Hindu'.
The man who wrote the letter said he had not seen the play. To anyone who has, it's not ‘anti-Hindu'. It examines how religion is being interpreted by politicians for votes.
Have you made any changes to the script?
No.
Are you still performing the play?
We have not performed the play after we got the letter to stop it.
Did you foresee such an extreme response?
The script is direct and we knew that it could cause discomfort to a few, but we never expected this response.
You have named right-wing leaders and institutions in your play. Was that on purpose?
The content is direct; we have not used metaphors. We have named leaders from both the Congress and the BJP. The choice to use actual facts was deliberate.
Does the play have Santa-Banta jokes on Hindu proselytisation?
We were researching the 1984 riots and we found many Santa-Banta jokes from the names of Indira Gandhi's killers, Satwant and Beant Singh. Thus the idea to use them came about.
Are you taking a jibe at Sadhvi Jyoti by saying, ‘Yeh play haraamzaadon ke liye nahi, raamzaadon ke liye hai'?
Yes.
Do you think street theatre is a subversive art form?
Street theatre is about telling people that there is something happening around them, to invoke a discussion that could lead to change.
