Actor, poet and theatre director Danish Husain’s latest production, a filmed theatrical performance of one of the most well-known pieces of writing, ‘Draupadi’, makes clear the reasons why a short story by Bengali author Mahasweta Devi from 1978 is still relevant to the prohibitive times in which we are living.

Screened on October 17, ‘Draupadi’ is one of the twelve pieces selected for the ‘Theatre from the Streets: India Project’, curated by writer, actor and activist Mallika Sarabhai. Hosted by the New Perspectives Theatre Company, New York, the performances—from India, Palestine, Lebanon and Venezuela—bring to light issues of the marginalised communities and alternative narratives that are suppressed or neglected by the state.