This award-winning performance explores the dynamics of womanhood in India

For 26yearold playwright and theatremaker Durga Venkatesan the fear of not knowing how to make a round roti was real ldquoIt is a conversation every woman my age has had at some point in timerdquo she shares This fear led her on a journey that forms the genesis of her performance Garam Roti at Prithvi Theatre todayldquoThe idea was born in a workshop at the 2023 edition of Thespo The crux was to formulate selfinvestigative stories based on our own truthsrdquo Venkatesan shares It sparked conversations with friends and acquaintances women who had faced the same dreaded question at different times in their livesA QR code pamphlet of the Garam Roti library at the venue will allow visitors to listen to recorded oral accountsldquoIt slowly morphed into recordings and hourlong conversations with women across India speaking about their fears their ideas of the roti and its role in their lives These then diverged into larger conversations on womanhood expectations their place in society and how they navigate it mdash from women in the kitchen to women in social spheres It was a collection of intersectional voices that shaped my performancerdquo she saysBreaking barriersThese voices range from across class caste language and regional barriers From Ambala Haryana Maharashtra to Delhi and Bengaluru there are 23 CD recordings that inform her performance Venkatesan will take to the stage with these voices as her coperformer Yet it is not that simpleCovers of the CDs of the recordings collated by Venkatesan for the performanceldquoAs an artiste I did not want to snip out chunks from the conversations with the women to suit my narrative on stage It was important to deliver the truth of these recordings So the women have been involved in their representation from naming the recordings to how they are usedrdquo she points outThe Garam Roti library as it is named is also available for public listening For every show Venkatesan throws open the library to the audience to pick three CDs that she will perform with In that sense even the playwright is unaware of what voices will be part of her next set ldquoWhat you will hear in one show is completely different to the next Moreover since I am dealing with voices that are not my own I did not want to control themrdquo she explainsDiverse perspectivesOver the span of 2024 Venkatesan travelled and had friends and volunteers travel to record these women She suggests that the simple act of making a roti mdash an everyday experience across the country mdash can reveal complex societal practices traditions and hierarchies ldquoIn a polarised divided world where everyone on social media feels the need to share an opinion this exercise gave me an opportunity to sit down and listen to different perspectivesrdquo she admitsSudha Rani one of the women who contributed to the growing collection of recordingsIn September Venkatesan did a rehearsed reading at Rangamadu in Bengaluru before travelling to Thespo 2024 where it won the Pearl Padamsee Award for Outstanding Performer and Outstanding New Writing ldquoGaram Roti is an evolving performancerdquo she adds ldquoThis is to say that it could be different a few years down the line I will be a different person at 30 years than I am now and the conversations I will find and come across will also vary and change with timeA production member sets up the audio player on stageThe library itself is more than a theatrical tool The Bengalurubased Venkatesan intends to enlist volunteers as they travel and record more voices She adds that as the collection builds further she would explore a larger purpose for the recordings ldquoI wanted to and still want to extend this conversation to women across all backgrounds The next year will be about expanding this explorationrdquo she concludesON Today and tomorrow 8 pmAT Prithvi Theatre 20 Juhu Church Road JuhuLOG ON TO prithvitheatreorgENTRY Rs 200 onwards