Play depicts the plight of widows in India

Chennai:

Widows are still stigmatized in the country and ‘Bimb-Pratibimb’ , a solo Hindi play brings to light the plight and sufferings of widows in our country and seeks the support of society for women empowerment.

Vibha Devi, a writer, playwright and theatre actor based in Chennai, brings to light the sufferings of two women Buchchidibai, a widow at the age of five, and Vandana Jha, a widow at 23 who narrate their tales to a magazine editor Kavita Pradhan.

The tales are intertwined and Vibha provides life to the characters by emoting the roles well.

The 90-minute play, organized by Prabhawati Devi Trust, a non-governmental organization giving new lease of life to polio hit and deaf and dumb poor children, highlights how widowed women suppress their feelings and emotions and the positive and negative attitude of our society and families who play a greater role to make people’s life happy and measurable.

“Widowhood is destiny and not a crime and women are stigmatized for it. I also bring to light the role of youth and their constructive and creative role in society in reshaping the lives of women,” Vibha, who has penned the play and is performing the solo ‘Bimb-Pratibimb’ for the second time.

Avitoko group will be staging the play in Orissa on December 17 at National Theatre Festival, said Vibha, who in her lifespan of 24 years in the theatre has penned six solos.

Besides Bimb-Pratibimb, they include Main Krishna Krishn ki, which revolves around friendship of draupadi and Krishna, Ek Nayee Menaka (Voice of a new woman), Balchanda which talks about female infanticide, Bhikarin, a tale of female beggar, Chanda maine sapna dekha (Moon I have dreams).

The winners of several awards, Vibha, is engrossed in theatre and doesn’t like the glamour. “I am taking theatre to every aspect of life. I have also been visiting jail inmates, orphanages, special children and entertaining them and helping provide a new meaning to their life,” said Vibha.

Her plays and writing revolves on empowerment of women and she attributes her strength to Prabhawati Devi, wife of political leader and Indian freedom fighter Jaiprakash Narayan. “She has been my idol. Her thoughts inspires me,” says the author and actor.