CHENNAI: The Kindness project’s Lal Batti Express will be staged for the first time in Chennai on 11 January at 7 pm at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao concert hall.
This is a pre-event for the Kindness festival which is likely to happen in August of this year. This acclaimed an hour long play is originated by Krantias fifteen daughters of sex workers who enact their life as the play.
Lal Batti translates to Red Light and this train themed play try to change the prejudiced perception among the people about the sex workers and their families. This play promises to make the audiences move to tears. Engaging with News Today, the founder of the Kindness Project, Mahima Poddar talks about the teams manifestation and discuss more about the play.
The excerpts of the interview are as follows.
Q: How did the thought behind this project took shape?
The Kindness project is the pathway that aims to instil kindness, empathy and compassion in all. This idea sprang with the very belief that we could create extensive impact not by materialistic goods but through experiential joy. Our philosophy lies in three pillars; to inspire, to expand and to invoke which we strongly adhere to. Lal Batti Express will certainly inspire and expand our perception of inclusivity and discrimination.
Q: Elaborate on the advent of Lal Batti Express and its motive
The Lal Batti Express is synonymous with the topic of stigma- sex trafficking and abuse. The play intends to create imperative awareness on the lives of sex workers and their families. The play brings to public attention, the struggles the girls faced in their past, how they overpowered the mental agony with the help of Kranti (NGO) and their pursuit of happiness. Though a brand new concept altogether to the Chennai audience, their (girls) distressing stories will help in changing the prejudiced perception about the lives of those from the Lal Bhatti (Red Light) areas.
Q: How relevant it is to present the play in Chennai now?
Alongside Chennai, it is crucial to spread awareness across the country. Contemporarily, the major focus is around religious inclusiveness. However, social inclusiveness demands equal attention which is likely to impact our daily lives.
Q: What do you think led to the success of Lal Batti Express?
The Lal Batti Express stands out with uniqueness as the girls who play the lead arenât professional actors who lack emotional connectivity to the roles they perform, rather they put into practice their own life stories. I believe, that makes it distinctive and accomplishing.
Q: Tell us more about the Krantikaris, the girls who stage the play
The Krantikaris are aged between 15 and 25. Some of them are far behind, say 10 years behind in
their formal education and some of them are one of the first girls from red- light areas to get placed in educational institutions abroad. We try to disintegrate discrimination through therapy, sports, theatre, music, travel and proudly share their stories to the world. They are India’s youngest finds giving voices to the unvoiced, leading workshops on issues like child sexual abuse, sex workers rights and gender equality. They embrace their past, fight for their survival and hope for a desirable future.
Q: Is there any update on The Kindness festival which is likely to happen in August?
The International Kindness Festival is the manifestation of inspire, expand and invoke brought together by the curator and artistic director, Ratheesh Krishnan of SPI Edge. To keep up the anticipation among the people, we are organising list of pre-events until the arrival of the main event. The kindness vouchers, the kindness week and lot more are lined up for the people to explore meaningful experiences over every 4-5 weeks until August.
(Story by Afrin Fowmitha)