Keep it simple silly!

"Why is being emotional such a bad thing?" questions Nandita Das and the audience burst into applause. This is just one of the many subtle, yet powerful scenes from "Between the Lines", a play featuring Nandita Das and Subodh Maskara. The play, directed by Nandita Das and produced by Chhoti Production, was performed at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall on 23rd October as part of The Hindu Theatre Fest, 2015. The plot sounds simple enough. A couple married for 10 years face off against each other in court for a case which blurs their personal and professional lives. But what makes this play stand out is the way subtle gender discrimination among the so-called educated people is portrayed and handled. It is generally assumed that educated men treat their spouses equally and that there's not much of a gender bias at urban houses. But is that really the case? Nandita Das does a brilliant job as the husband-loving, independent woman who begins ...

(As part of an academic assignment, we were asked to do a character sketch of a fictional woman and write a story to go along with that. So, here goes.) Character Sketch Height: 5 feet 5 inches Medium build Shoulder-length wavy, black hair Wears glasses Perfectly manicured nails and clean feet! Big, black eyes and a sharp pointed nose. A blast of cold air hit her as soon as she entered the air-conditioned office. Namrata was impeccably dressed, as always, in formal pants and a shirt. The only accessory she was missing today was a curve on her mouth. "Good morning, ma'am!", her secretary greeted her. She greeted her back, trying not to snap. Namrata had been working at this firm for the past five years. Through hard work, dedication, and a lot of patience, she had finally become a team-lead recently, one of the perks of which was having her own secretary. She sat down at her desk and checked her schedule for the day. She was known for her punctuality and f...