Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace back in Bengaluru after 15 years

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace, is a one-woman play adapted from Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill. Starring Jayati Bhatia of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahi Thi fame  and directed by Quasar Thakore Padamsee, the play, a mirror to the insights of a matriarch, will resonate with most audiences.

Qasar, who first came across the play when he was in high school, says, “it spoke to me at a fundamental level. Two things leapt out at me; one was the similarity between colonial Singapore and colonial Bombay, the city I am from. The other was how the narratives and decisions by the protagonist so closely matched those of my paternal grandmother,” he says.

Set in an Indian household in Colaba, the play is about someone who has had nothing, wanting to provide her children with everything. “She loves her family fiercely and wants the best for them, but is also quite pig-headed about how the world has changed since her time. And this is seen in all our families; all of us want the best for our people, and are willing to adjust and manipulate everyone else in order to make that happen.”

Qasar says at first glance, it is easy to dismiss the protagonist as “just a housewife or someone we would not pay much attention to, but her story is vibrant, exciting and her insight into the world is rather remarkable.”

A scene from Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace was first staged in Mumbai in 2004 and has had a successful run in the past two decades all across the country, and is coming back to Bengaluru after almost 15 years.

According to Qasar, one of the joys of staging a play in Bengaluru stems from its welcoming theatre community. “However, it is also an audience that steps out exclusively for the show; the play is not just one of many things on its checklist. They come for the play and stay back for conversations. That is one of the reasons I love bringing my pieces to the city — the connections are far richer.”

He says, “I believe Bangalore too, has one foot in the past and another in the future. Its old world charm, colonial houses and changing pace is a huge connection we all relate to,” and adds many people who watch the show, return with their mothers.

“I don’t think there’s enough work out there that families can share, where we can come together and see the frailty and oddity of life. Mothers appreciate the fact their children are bringing them to something that helps both parties understand each other better.”

Talking about his choice of casting Jayati Bhatia as Khatijabai, Qasar says, “I first saw her in a production of The Vagina Monologues and she brought an effervescence to the role. She also has a wonderful work ethic. Though a Bengali based out of Delhi, I cast her as Gujarati Muslim in Mumbai and when in Ahmedabad, audiences would talk to her in Gujarati after the show. Even for a few lines her pronunciation and diction were spot on — she owns that space.”

Over the past 20 years, Qasar says he and Jayati have taken away a lot from the play. “A lot of our love and soul has gone into it and we have evolved alongside it too. As for Jayati, Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace still interests and excites her, and she wants to play the role as long as she gets to the age Khatija is at the end of the play.”

“So much of what we learnt about human nature from this play has made it into our lives. Stella Kon’s writing is powerful, bringing with it an ability to understand people in a fundamental way.”

Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace will be staged at Ranga Shankara on September 26 at 7.30pm and on September 27 at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets priced at ₹500 on BookMyShow