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The Pride Festival is underway and over the next few weeks Auckland will be treated to an outpouring of theatre, art and performance, all with a nudge and a wink at the LGBT world.

One of the more intriguing offers is Mumbai Monologues, with insights into a part of Indian culture not often seen. Renee Liang asked co-director Padma Akula about the show.

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Mumbai – what do you think of? No matter what you’re thinking, a new show called Mumbai Monologues seeks to bust those preconceptions open.  Written by those with insider knowledge, the show – a collection, as the title suggests, of monologues and short plays – brings together some extraordinary stories about ordinary lives in Mumbai and presents them alongside original music. 

As part of the Auckland Pride Festival, Mumbai Monologues is “a snapshot of a city of dreams, secrets and stories from the queers, queens and those in-between.”

How did you come up with the idea for Mumbai Monologues?

My co-director Ahi was toying with the idea of Monologues. So when TAPAC approached us regarding Queer@TAPAC, it seemed like a perfect platform to showcase South Asian stories, writers and actors through monologues. Hence, we began our search for scripts. But we felt we needed another anchor besides LGBT subjects. We wished to have the hustle and bustle of India as the main backdrop and essence of our stories. And Mumbai - the city that never sleeps - seemed to be the perfect match to represent India. Even though we found it challenging at the beginning to restrict our stories to Mumbai alone. But it gave our stories a much needed anchor.

Are these stories real life or fiction?

Mumbai Monologues is a mix of real-life stories and fiction. But like any other form of creativity, they all stem from fragments of reality and individual experiences.

Who are the writers?

Mumbai Monologues is written by Stephanie Georgepoulis, Gyan Prakash and Auckland based writers Anita Crisnel, Sananda Chatterjee and Poorna Prakash

There is a perception that Indian society is quite conservative, how do you expect your show to be received?

It’s true that Indian society is conservative but things are changing now. Having said that, our show aims to target a different section of the audience. As a part of the Pride festival, we are hoping to draw in a young crowd from diverse cultural backgrounds. People who will be able to identify with these stories rather than oppose them.

Do you believe that theatre can change society?

I believe real change begins from within one's self, from being awake which ultimately happens with a slight hint of wonder. I think theatre is a powerful medium to initiate this wonderment in people. Rather than providing answers and solutions, theatre's power lies in throwing important questions at people and making them think.

How did you get involved in Auckland Pride Festival?

TAPAC was organising Queer@Tapac as part of Auckland Pride Festival and Margaret-Mary Hollins approached us regarding the same. So we took the opportunity to present voices from India, especially from the LGBT section, as these are voices which are rarely heard.
 
Why do you choose to make theatre?

Theatre taught me discipline, dependability, loyalty, and leadership. My foray into the world of entertainment was with Theatre in 2005/2006. I have been hooked ever since. I have been passionate about stories ever since I can remember and theatre allows me to be a part of exciting stories. I started off as an actor but fell in love with direction and production and have never looked back.
I have worked on diverse productions, ranging from Maori productions on child abuse to children’s Christmas show...high budget Indian feature films to solo musicals...theatre piece on lower caste prostitutes to Godspell. What do they all have in common? Stories. Compelling stories. Theatre is a lot of hard work but it’s a lot more fun.
 
Tell us about Agaram Productions.

Agaram Productions is an international production house specializing in the development and creation of new work from New Zealand’s diverse voices and the presentation of these works to New Zealand and to the world beyond. Agaram Productions is committed to supporting and employing local, national and international artists with a point of difference and offering entertainment of the highest quality. Agaram Productions launched South Asian Writers’ Festival in Dec 2013; with dramaturgs Hone Kouka and Miria George, with dizzying success.

What are you working on next?

I have a short film in the pipeline along with a script of a feature film. I am also working on Prayas Theatre's next production, Charandas Chor. Auditions are on March 15th and season dates are June 21-29. Yet again, it is going be a huge ensemble cast like our previous production Rudali which was staged at The Herald to full houses.