Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): Two transgender persons from the city will be essaying the roles of ‘eunuchs’ in a play titled Mera Wajood which will be staged at Shaheed Bhavan on May 6. Rehearsal for the play is currently underway at the Mayaram Surjan Bhavan.
The two eunuchs - Shubham Rajput and Jenifer - who are acting in the play, have had no association with theatre in the past. Shubham, who works as a doctor’s assistant, said that she decided to participate in the play as “it talks about us”. On the other hand, Shubham, a science graduate, said that she has been rehearsing daily for 4 hours for the last 20 days. She is playing the role of Munni, the guru of the eunuchs. “I just have to play myself. I am thoroughly enjoying it,” she said.
The other eunuch actor, Jenifer, earns her livelihood through traditional ways. But she too is learning the finer points of acting.
Some male actors too will enact the role of eunuchs in the play. Utkarsh Khare, who characterises Daya, watched Ashutosh Rana’s ‘Sangharsh’ and Seema Biswas’ ‘Queens! Destiny of Dance’ a number of times to get a feel of the mannerism and diction of the eunuchs. Another male actor Rahul (playing the role of Shabnam) has come to realise how painful waxing can be.
The one hour forty-minute play is being finalised at a theatre workshop, conducted by People’s Theatre Group. Sindhu Dholpure the director of the play said, she had seen ‘Mera Wazood’ in some other city and was very impressed. “I requested the writer, Amul Sagar, who hails from Delhi, to provide the manuscript to me, which he did,” she said. The play conveys the message that eunuchs are not different from ‘normal’ men and women and should be treated with dignity and respect, Dholpure said.
