Bandini at La Mama HQ: 3/5 stars
Family violence in Melbourne’s South Asian community is a pressing issue which has sadly become timelier with the frightening number of women who have lost their lives this year. Numerous diaspora artists have been inspired to address the issue through their practice, most often through borrowing from the Mahishasura Mardhini, a Stotram exalting the feminine divine.
Melbourne Indian Theatre’s production of Bandini is one such piece, which invokes the hymn both literally and metaphorically to tell the story of a woman haunted by (or as the title suggests, ‘bonded’ to) past experiences of violence. Having previously played in Canberra and India, the Marathi language thriller premiered to Melbourne audiences at La Mama HQ, as part of La Mama’s trailblazing ‘Festival of Mother Tongues’ program promoting multilingual independent theatre.
Bandini follows Devayani Deshpande, a prominent Indian social worker, whose past trauma is reawakened when she receives an award for female empowerment. Blurring the lines between past and present and reality and fantasy, the play ends with an unexpected climax that’s perhaps a stretch too far in what is already a heavy and confronting piece.
By far the strongest element of the piece was its performances, particularly writer and director Nilesh Gadre as uncle ‘Mama’, able to be both comic and leering in turns, bringing zest to the delivery of his own Marathi script. As the protagonist of the piece, Reshma Parulekar as ‘Devayani Deshpande’ comes into her own when given the space to perform, particularly in her monologues, but the detail and nuance disappears when forced to submit to extended periods of blubbering, wordless submission.
A standout Shantanu Bendre commands the stage as Devayani’s abusive husband ‘Professor Dhananjay Deshpande’, whose sadism is most disturbing when he is nonchalant and composed. Supporting roles from Suhasini Solapure, Chaitanya Khare, and Anita Gupta were equally confident and well-rehearsed, a testament to the passion and cohesion of the group.
As writer and director of Bandini, Gadre delivers an intriguing conceit in the depiction of Devayani’s abusers as figments of her tormented mind, a reflection on the ongoing legacy of domestic abuse. However, lengthy scenes weigh down the pace of the piece, which jumps brusquely from comedy to shocking abuse, and it’s often unclear whether the intent is to amuse or confront.
In addition, some questionable decisions, including to depict all acts of violence on stage and use of music to constantly embellish emotional moments undercut the messaging of what is already strong dialogue and performance. The former makes the play a difficult watch, and not always in a good way; at times the violence feels gratuitous and alienating and contradicts the aim to address what is a sensitive and difficult issue.
By the conclusion of the play, as Devayani, a survivor of violence, is unmasked as someone unbalanced who commits heinous acts, it’s unclear where the production falls with regards to rationalising family violence. The play posits a ‘Durga’ who is psychologically scarred, whose past trauma spurs her to perpetuate vengeance, but rather than see the cyclical nature of violence, we focus instead on her delusion, a slightly problematic conclusion in what is already a fraught discussion.
Though the production stumbles with the handling of its themes, Bandini has the potential to be an interesting and powerful take on a prevalent issue with a bit of tweaking. Nonetheless, it’s exciting to see a Marathi language play with such a committed team at one of Melbourne’s premier independent venues, and the confident performances and script makes Melbourne Indian Theatre a promising company who would be terrific on this stage again.
Bandini by Melbourne Indian Theatre
November 14-16 2024
La Mama HQ
Part of La Mama’s Festival of Mother Tongues
Written and Directed by Nilesh Gadre
Performed by Reshma Parulekar, Shantanu Bendre, Nilesh Gadre, Chaitanya Khare, Suhasini Solapure, Anita Gupte
READ ALSO: Review: Nayika, A Dancing Girl at Belvoir St Theatre
