Joy Sengupta on Womanly Voices: It is a creative adventure to be a part of an anthology that represents women’s voices

Lillete Dubey and Joy Sengupta have a long association on stage. Together, they presented successful productions, including Dance Like a Man and others. Hence, when Lillete approached Joy to act in her teleplay Womanly Voices, he instantly accepted the offer. For him, it was also an opportunity to play a pivotal part in one of the three stories in the anthology that deals with the literary works of three Indian writers – Wajeda Tabassum, Mahasweta Devi, and Gita Mehta. Directed by Lillete, Womanly Voices also stars Suchitra Pillai, Pranav Sachdev, Ira Dubey, Deepika Amin, and Adit Bhilare and will air on October 28 on Tata Play Theatre.  

“This anthology represents women’s voices in Indian literature and presents astonishingly diverse milieus,” said Joy. The stories are Wajeda Tabassum’s Utran, Mahasweta Devi’s Shishu, and Gita Mehta’s haunting The Teacher’s Story. According to Joy, these stories are universal, insightful, powerful, and distinct. The Teacher’s Story in which Joy stars is a stark reminder of deep-seated hate and prejudices. The actor said, “Art must be a reflection of what is happening around us – be it good, bad, or ugly. Art divorced from society can never be relevant. At times, it can even become an intervention of ideas and offer solutions.”

Joy adds that his artistic choices reflect his convictions and beliefs as well and said, “In theatre specifically, I tend to tilt towards themes, subjects, and perspectives, which are closest to my worldview. The theatre showcases my voice as an artiste.”

It is a positive sign, he said that women around the world are increasingly using performing arts to discuss gender relations and feminine perspectives and added, “Their participation in theatre in various capacities, is at its peak at the moment. Perhaps theatre remains one creative medium which has embraced gender equity in a big way.”

When asked why he has always chosen to vociferously speak up for gender issues, Joy responded, “I follow a simple Gandhian philosophy in my life-- ‘Truth is truth, even if you are a minority of one’. So, if you are not scared of the truth, you shouldn’t be scared of speaking it.” 

Directed by Lillete Dubey, Womanly Voices also stars Suchitra Pillai, Pranav Sachdev, Ira Dubey, Deepika Amin, and Adit Bhilare and will air on October 28 on Tata Play Theatre.