Gharwali

Gharwali, written by the great Ismat Chughtai nearly 80 years ago, remains strikingly relevant today. It explores the shifting dynamics of man-woman relationships—how a man, deeply in love, is willing to do anything for a woman, but once she becomes his wife, he seeks to control her. Over time, both crave freedom from each other. Chughtai narrates this with humor and insight, using ordinary characters without moralizing. In our play, an actor performs the story word for word, embodying every character without costume changes or makeup. This follows the Indian tradition of solo storytelling, where narration and performance merge seamlessly.

About the performer:
Ajay Rohilla is an accomplished actor and director in film, theatre, and television. He has acted in notable films such as Bandit Queen, Dr. Ambedkar, Gangaajal, and Mangal Pandey. As a director, he has helmed over 10 short films, including the critically acclaimed Dansh, based on Saadat Hasan Manto's Thanda Gosht. Rohilla has also directed more than 10 Hindi plays and performed in over 25 theatrical productions.

About the director:
Subhankar Biswas has been a theatre practitioner since 1989, working as an actor and director in both Bengali and Hindi. He has collaborated with veteran directors like Habib Tanvir, Satyavrat Raut, Robin Das, Amitabh Das Gupta, Niranjan Goswami and others. In films, he has worked as an associate director for renowned directors such as Anurag Basu, Ashok Gaikwad, and Siddharth Sen Gupta. He has also directed a short film and a music video. A highly creative individual by temperament, he brings depth and originality to his work.