Nirbhaya The Play [2013]

Director: Yael Farber [SA]

Actors: Japjit Kaur, Poorna Jaganathan, Priyanka Bose, Sapna Bhavnani, Ankur Vikal, Rukhsar Kabir and Sneha Jawale.

Language: English, Hindi & some Marathi.

Duration: 90 mins.

Rating: 9/10.

Review by: Jason (Black Hills Industry) 

"Nirbhaya" as the name suggests "Fearlessness" is a 90-minute dramatization of the true and horrific events that occurred on the fateful night of Dec 16th, 2012  in New Delhi, India. A young couple returning home after a movie find themselves cornered in a horrific bus ride with six deviant men, ultimately resulting as a final day between the two.

Yael Farber is a multiple award-winning Theater director/ playwright, who delivers so strongly on this specific offering. Not just that, but the fine ensemble of seven showcase stellar performances of the day. Absolutely commendable stuff.

To begin with, the play opens with an enigmatic sound that stirs, echoes, and lingers in your mind endlessly, leaving you in a hypnotic yet meditative state. To add to that Japjit Kaur who plays Nirbhaya sings like a dream. It just seems to float everywhere, complimenting the background score. Undoubtedly, the background soundscape mix is the best you will ever hear at your favorite amphitheater.

The atmosphere in the auditorium is surreal with the lighting set pieces bringing out the true characters of the likes of Poorna Jaganathan, Priyanka Bose, Sapna Bhavnani, Ankur Vikal, Rukhsar Kabir, and Sneha Jawale. They share their own true and grim nightmarish stories with the audience. You will have the goose-flesh at the back of your neck rise as you listen to each chilling tale.

There are moments, you will cringe in your seat while listening to the true account of the actor's stories, and the next moment you might chuckle, but just a little bit, because of the hint of black humor thrown in occasionally. And there is never a dull moment as the tension seldom tends to cease until the dying moments of the show. On the contrary, you will be on the edge of your seat.

That being said, the performers highlight their exhibits by playing multiple characters earning grace marks on multiple levels. The theatrics continue to marvel the audience as each story is thrown in from various angles, each from a different part of the world (US, UK, India etc.). Every element of the mood is so well composed ranging from media bytes, rush hour traffic, trains plying on the tracks.. etc.

The play is a reminder to each one of us about the ugly and sick world that we live in. It sends the message out loud about consciousness of the society at large. It also opens a window to the audience, so that they are also share their experiences. After all, this was not just Nirbhaya's story, but about each one of us, who may have endured ordeals of physical, mental or sexual abuse in the past. For others, it could be happening on a real time basis and this is just the right forum for them.

Towards the end of it, you are so floored that it would have you thinking about it even after you leave the auditorium. The applause simply grows into a crescendo as you're left gob-smacked. Well, that's feedback to the most talked about theatrics in and around the globe.

The playwright and the actors also arranged a discussion with the audience, right after the show. This was done, just to recognize the audience's reaction and feedback of the performances. Quite apt considering the nature of the play.

My only grouse was pertaining to the fact, that there could have been another sequence, which could have delved deeper into the bureaucratic approach of the government at large towards such contentious issues and the lawlessness of the law. I don't know if this will be showcased in the subsequent installment of this play. It seems a tad unlikely, but if it does, that would definitely add momentum to this show on multiple dimensions. Well, not that it hasn't. To be perfectly honest, there shouldn't be any room for complaints at this juncture.

But maybe....just maybe, the playwright meticulously focused upon the failure of society from a circumstantial angle and highlighting the political angle would have resulted in the play being too stretched out. Or perhaps the writer had repugnance for a likely controversy. That being said, that is just a perspective and you shouldn't miss this crème de la crème show for the world. The catharsis churned out from this fine ensemble is truly bold and gritty. It is a standing testimony of a tour de force performance. Highly recommended stuff, even if you're planning on watching it multiple times. Hats off! Because that's another feather in the cap for the prolific playwright.