In ‘What She Said’, Gowri Ramnarayan retells the Ramayana through the eyes of six women —Urmila, Manthara, Shurpanakha, Mandodari, Tara and Shanta — offering insights into how forgotten female characters dealt with their victimhood. The play features six epic women enacted by three actors. Gowri lends voices to the women who were silenced, overlooked and had no agency. She says Urmila’s privileged background does not save her from being marginalised. Unlike Sita, Urmila is left behind when her husband, Lakshmana, joins Rama in exile, and remains ignored, passed over and forgotten. Mandodari and Tara are presented as war victims. Shurpanakha believes the treatment meted out to her is because she belongs to the non-Aryan daanava race. “Think Ramayana and you think heroes. Mostly men. What about the women on the fringes of these great tales? We don’t know enough about them. ‘What She Said’ gave me a chance to follow the female characters on their different journeys, exploring their minds and seeing how they faced their own struggles for survival,” says Gowri. The play reflects contemporary realities and stands the test of time, says Gowri, adding, “After all, just like these women from the ancient world, the women of today are still being erased from history, affected by war, violence, discrimination, and loss of identity.” Gowri has directed over 27 plays. Her play Enchantment, featuring the life of Pandit Ravi Shankar, was staged at the Bangalore Habba this year. Human rights is a recurring theme in her plays, with characters in a relentless fight for justice, equality, gender rights, and anti-violence. ‘What She Said’, produced by Just Us Repertory, received an overwhelming response at the Bangalore International Center (BIC), Domlur and Bangalore Club recently, and will be staged in Coimbatore in June.
