Story of a Different world. Review on Jane-mann

A Play with a difference, says the brochure. To some extend Director Waman Kendre’s Hindi play Jane-mann live up to its claim at least as far as the subject is concerned. The play is based on the lives of eunuchs. In spite of great potential for story ideas this subject till now had not seen any serious attempts of dramatization. Playwright Machindra More explored the world of eunuchs for two years in which he interacted with thousands of eunuchs and gathered authentic details of the community. Seven drafts later and with the able direction of Waman Kendre the resultant effort is a marvelous insight into the world of a complex, misunderstood and closed community of eunuchs. The revelation is that other than natural reasons a large number of eunuchs are added to the community by castrating men who not only want to be women in spirit and sexual desires but also want to achieve a feminine body. (The ceremony is known as ‘Nirvaan’). National School of Drama Repertory Company’s presentation Jane-mann is commendable for the serious treatment given to a subject that has invariably been treated with stereotype comedy on stage or screen.

The story revolves around characters like Najjo (Dr. Govind Pandey) who is the leader of the akhara (group) and her (?) disciples. Najjo is the mother figure who cares for her flock but rules them with an iron fist. The ordinary hijras earn their living by begging in the markets and traffic signals. The play showcases the social fabric of the community by showing their rituals, beliefs, relationships and their everyday joys & sorrows. Another character, Panna (Brijesh Sharma), is a senior member of the akhara who longs to have her own disciples because it is believed in the community that a eunuch cannot become one with god after death unless it has a disciple. Najjo gets her a disciple, Mukesh, a boy who has had a sexually abused childhood. After ‘Nirvaana’ the boy is christened Nagina and starts living in the akhara. Panna marries Nagina to a Seth who does not return after the first night. Najjo wants Nagina to earn her livelihood by begging and live like a Hizra. Soon after Nagina discovers to her horror the painful and cursed life eunuchs lead. She decides to leave the akhara and join an NGO that works for the welfare of their community. As a theater presentation Jane-mann has a nice look and feel.

The play boasts of a talented cast, lively music created by Kajol Ghosh and brilliant make up by Sudhir Kulkarni. The costumes designed by Bhanu Athiya are bright and colourful and go very well with the characters and stage ambience. Dr. govind Pandey and Brijesh Sharma as Nijjo and Panna respectively have given sterling performances. Script writer also come up with some little know facts about the eunuchs community for example their division into three main categories according to the kind of work they do and that they beat the dead body after death of a eunuchs with the believe that it will free the soul from the curse of uncompleted sexuality in the next life.