Vadodara: An 80-minutes’ play – ‘Be-Loved’ – was staged on Friday evening at the auditorium of city-based Rosary School. Presented by Tamaasha Theatre from Mumbai, it was hosted by Vadodara-based Vikalp Women’s Group and Chennai-based Saathii.
Directed by Sapan Saran, play was a multi-layered exploration of queer love and companionship through a dazzling medley of satire, music, poetry, movement.
The theatre performance was packed with several elements of storytelling to present a show that celebrated queerness, love and life rather than focusing on marginalization.
Works of a diverse range of 17 artists and writers including that of distinguished artist late Bhupen Khakhar, poet Josh Malihabadi and gay rights activist Saleem Kidwai and Maya Sharma amongst others were used to present the play with writings from history, literature and life experiences.
For the play, text by Khakar and one of Maya Sharma’s stories – Sheila – from her book ‘Loving women: being lesbian in underprivileged India’ published in 2006 were interwoven. The book documents the lives of lesbian women in rural and underprivileged India.
Sharma’s latest book – ‘Footprints of a queer history: Life stories from Gujarat’ – features inspiring journeys of LGBTQIA+ women she had met in the course of her work with Vikalp women’s group in Gujarat. She is also trustee of the Vikalp women’s group that works on women’s issues with the queer community.
We also published the following articles recently
Directed by Sapan Saran, play was a multi-layered exploration of queer love and companionship through a dazzling medley of satire, music, poetry, movement.
The theatre performance was packed with several elements of storytelling to present a show that celebrated queerness, love and life rather than focusing on marginalization.
Works of a diverse range of 17 artists and writers including that of distinguished artist late Bhupen Khakhar, poet Josh Malihabadi and gay rights activist Saleem Kidwai and Maya Sharma amongst others were used to present the play with writings from history, literature and life experiences.
For the play, text by Khakar and one of Maya Sharma’s stories – Sheila – from her book ‘Loving women: being lesbian in underprivileged India’ published in 2006 were interwoven. The book documents the lives of lesbian women in rural and underprivileged India.
Sharma’s latest book – ‘Footprints of a queer history: Life stories from Gujarat’ – features inspiring journeys of LGBTQIA+ women she had met in the course of her work with Vikalp women’s group in Gujarat. She is also trustee of the Vikalp women’s group that works on women’s issues with the queer community.
We also published the following articles recently
HC allows queer man to attend last rites of partner
The high court granted permission for a queer man to participate in the last rites of his deceased live-in partner, based on the absence of objection from the bereaved family. However, the court declined to release the body without evidence of their relationship, directing the hospital to hand it over to the man’s parents.
The high court granted permission for a queer man to participate in the last rites of his deceased live-in partner, based on the absence of objection from the bereaved family. However, the court declined to release the body without evidence of their relationship, directing the hospital to hand it over to the man’s parents.