What it turned out to be was one of the most brilliant solo performances I have ever seen on stage. Actor-singer MD Pallavi, turned in a spectacular performance- essaying multiple roles with elan, keeping the audience riveted to their seats.
Anyhow, I should not get carried away, I could go on and on, and exhaust an entire dictionary of superlatives on the excellence of the performance, but I guess I should talk a bit about the play itself, right?
The play starts off with two shadowy figures in the dark seated in front of Apple Macbooks, then slowly an eerie voice breaks out of the darkness, robotic yet haunting. As the darkness subsides, and the lights come on, the voice reveals herself- Shilpa, the singer App.
Shilpa is a representation of womanhood itself, often stereotyped, misunderstood, objectified and exploited.
Through the course of this performance we are witness to the remarkable evolution of Shilpa, symbolic of the modern woman, confident, independent and standing up for her own rights.
Shilpa begins with being a user friendly Singer App on mobile phones- singing the lines you want to hear, making her voice sweet, sexy, husky as you want it to be, shakes her hips as you please, and literally dances to your tune. In one of the highlights of the play, MD Pallavi- acting as Shilpa, gives a demo of the functioning of this app, by taking inputs from the audience- showing the full range of her voice.
However, do not mistake Shilpa for a simpleton, because hiding behind the garb of innocence, is a deeply insightful woman- who knows the darkest secrets of her users. Interspersed in the play are moments where the stage goes dark and Shilpa's haunting voice reveals distinctly uncomfortable truths about her users' personal lives.
The play also touches upon the lives of two struggling artists in the entertainment industry. One, a young female playback singer, incidentally the voice for Shilpa- the Singer App. Blessed with obvious singing talent and classically trained, the young singer is made to sing songs which not only do not do justice to her vocal ability, but whose words are explicit in nature, and grossly demeaning to women. Society also questions the young singer at every stage- on her career, her relationships, her plans for marriage.
The second artist featured in the play, is an upcoming film actress, who is married. For the sake of entertaining the audience, she is forced to do scenes which portray women as weak, and objects of pleasure for men. Just like the young singer, she is also questioned by society at every instance- on her interactions with other men, how she balances her personal and professional life, how her earning more than her husband would create problems in the household and so on.
MD Pallavi moves from one character to the next effortlessly and delivers each role with equal intensity.
The play of course revolves around Shilpa, and a brand new version is soon unveiled. This is no longer, the sweet, obedient Shilpa that we were introduced to at the start of the play. Shilpa is no longer dictated to by the whims and fancies of her users. Although still driven by user input, she now takes decisions of her own, any desire of the user unagreeable to her is bluntly rejected. Soon, the transformation is complete. The final version of Shilpa has broken all barriers, and not only is it independent of user input, it can now program itself. In fact, Shilpa has upgraded herself to such an extent, that she is able to penetrate the minds of her users and make them act as per her wishes. The transformation of Shilpa, is mirrored by the other two lady protagonists, who also rebel against societal norms and stereotypical professional expectations, and continue their quest to carve out a distinct identity for themselves.
Overall C sharp C Blunt succeeds in portraying the gamut of emotions, that a woman, particularly one striving to build a career of her own, goes through. It also displays the evolution of the modern woman in a very novel manner, and brings to light the stereotypical notions that society still has regarding women. A strikingly different plot, clever use of technology without overdoing it, are also some of the aspects of the play which make it a treat to watch. However, what I would remember the most as a theatre lover, was MD Pallavi's performance. Her stage presence, her vocal range, the elegance in her movement, and the power that she exuded in her expressions- especially through her eyes, was remarkable. As an audience you would almost feel that you were part of the play, and it is you on whom Shilpa is venting her fury. This play was one for the ages, and would transport you to a different level of consciousness, truly a psychedelic experience !!!!
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