BENGALURU: Over the last one-and-a-half years, mother-daughter duo Lillete and Ira Dubey have been immersed in the life of yesteryear star Devika Rani.
In an attempt to portray the lesser-known side to the cine star, Lillete and Ira have been researching and reading about the life and times of Devika Rani. The result is a two-hour long play, Devika Rani, Goddess of Silver Screen, which will be staged at Good Shepherd Auditorium on October 2.
It’s after five years that Lillete and Ira are coming together for a production, and Lillete says she zeroed-in on Ira only when she was convinced that her daughter was suitable for the role of Devika Rani. And it suited Ira, who loves exploring real-life stories.
“It’s a matter of pride to represent such a strong personality on different stages across the country. I like celebrating the lives of strong women. They have stood up for what is right. I always feel proud while re-living such characters,” says Ira, who, along with the rest of the cast has been touring the country since August.
The play dwells on the life of Devika Rani behind the big screen. Written by Kishwar Desai, the script had nine drafts in last one-and-half years. “I watched a lot of her films to understand her style and body language. Glamour in ’20’s and ’30’s was different. There wasn’t much information on her life. Devika Rani doesn’t have any living relatives. What we had were some of her letters. The only interview available of her’s was when she was 80,” says Ira, who has sung also two songs in the production.
What she has loved the most about playing the character has been exploring the different layers to Devika Rani. “Everybody knows her as a star, but we wanted to capture her spirit and life – her pain, her relationships and her emotional journey.
Of course, her relationship with film producer Himanshu (whom she married in 1928) and later her elopement with Najm-ul-Hassan is well-known. We are exploring the both darker and bright sides of that relationship,” says Ira, adding that even after staging 100 performances in the future, she will still be discovering her character.
Through the year, Ira has come to understand that Devika Rani, a determined and ambitious woman used to “think with her head and not heart.” “I’m exactly the opposite,” Ira says with a laugh.