While there have been books, movies, plays and documentaries written and made about the leader of India’s freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi, considerably less is known about his wife Kasturba Gandhi.
In a new play titled ‘Being Mrs Gandhi’, a Singapore local production house HuM Theatre seeks to offer a perspective of Gandhi from the unique vantage point of this remarkable woman.
The play revolves around a “simple” woman who is sucked into the maelstrom of political history by virtue of being married to one of its most famous protagonists. Her life was woven into his tapestry spanning years, from Rajkot to Johannesburg and back to India, from ashram to ashram, from jail to jail, from suppression to freedom.
However she was tougher, more empowered, and funnier than many think. The play sees ‘Kasturba’ tell the story of how she saw her tumultuous life play out, tracing her steps out of the shadow of child marriage, illiteracy and casteism.
Being Mrs Gandhi will run from October 4-20, 2019, in line with worldwide celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Connected to India speaks to the Daisy Irani, co-founder of HuM Theatre, who will be playing Kasturba, as well as other members of the production to find out what went into the creation of this unique play: