Rape and Reality

REMEMBER Mumbai’s KEM hospital’s rape scandal? Nurse Aruna Shanbaug’s life took a drastic turn, when she was raped by a ward boy, 29 years ago. Director Vinay Apte’s latest play Katha Arunachi, brings to the forefront this horrific incident that shook the medical fraternity.
After being staged at Mumbai, it finally debuted in Pune, on May 20.After a slow pick up in Mumbai, Pune has been more responsive. Commenting on the need to bring to the fore this subject, Apte says, “Books and seminars post this event died a slow death. How many people really helped her? This play attempts to create an awareness again.�
Apte’s study for this play started, immediately after his very successful reallife drama, Kusum Manohar Lele. Says he, “I wanted to do it some time ago. I would think someone would already attempt this, but lucky for me.� At that time, the Duttakumar Desai scripted Katha Arunachi, had already started making waves. Apte adds, “I read the script, and decided to redraft the play. This incident had transformed Aruna from a lively girl to a brain-dead person. With no signs of her recovery, Aruna slowly started getting isolated from parents, friends and other warm well-wishers.�
This play without trying to get pragmatic, has a mission – to highlight the plight of this victim. Today, even after three decades, as Aruna lies in coma at KEM, the play raises issues. Apte says, “It emphasises whose responsibility Aruna is. Till date, the entire concept of sisterhood is intact! The KEM nursing staff (even a new recruit) looks after her. At the same time, the fact that the workplace is unsafe for nurses on night duty, remains unaddressed.�
The play’s approach is two-fold – One is Aruna’s story and the other is the heinous malpractice. “Aruna is a victim of circumstances. She tried to raise her voice against injustice and had to bear the brunt,� Apte confesses. In fact,Apte emphasises the bottomline quite cynically – No system changes for good, people better be available to be victimised.
The question of authenticity is another aspect, which Apte clarifies. “Desai and I sat together. I felt the need to rewrite certain scenes. We have changed the end. We wanted the people to heave a sigh of relief. I have deviated from reality, but the issue remains unsolved,� he tells us.
From the director who always has believed in experimenting and not conforming, Katha Arunachi comes with a strong ethos. “I have recently been seeing an onslaught of comedy, which has saturated the creative juices of directors. So I took up this play,� Apte adds with zeal.
All’s not well that waits to end and doesn’t even know, that it exists. Sensitive plays come and go, but Apte is hoping for more than critiques.