Desi Today Magazine
By Surbhi Gogia
An arranged marriage has always been a point of contention between Indian parents and their kids. Many movies, books, documentaries, theatre performances have tried to explore this generational clash. But, undoubtedly this topic has been told from the point of view of the younger generation most of the time.
In one of its kind production, an Indo-Canadian has departed from the notion of stereo-typing Indian parents and their ideas about arranged marriage. Ravi Jain, a Toronto-based theatre artist and a son has given space to his mother in his play A Brimful of Asha to explain why she wants her son to have an arranged marriage. Featuring real-life mother and son, Asha, and Ravi Jain, the play tells the tale of how when Ravi took a trip to India, his parents decided that would be the perfect time to introduce him to potential brides. Ravi is not sold on the idea of getting married—at least not yet—but Asha fears that time is running out.
Since its debut nine years ago, A Brimful of Asha has been a runaway success, selling out several runs in its home city of Toronto, Canada, and playing to sold-out crowds across Canada, as well as internationally including London, South Carolina, and New York. The audience of Surrey too had their share of laughter when Surrey Civic Theatre presented recording of the show on its digital platform in January. This presentation of the show was recorded at Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto.
The idea of bringing his own mother on the stage was not something Ravi had ever planned. He said the play came about in a very organic way after he told friends the story of how his parents tried to arrange his marriage. He says because of the way people responded, he thought he should make a show about it. “I told my Mum ‘I’m going to make a show about what a terrible mother you are’ and she said, ‘You’re an idiot, because if I was on stage telling the story, people would see what a terrible son you are and they would side with me.’ So, I said OK, let’s try and do that.”
He says working on a play with his mother was a surprisingly easy and natural process and that they built the show through improvisation. “My Mum took to being on stage like a fish to water, which was interesting, because she is a very shy person. I think because she’s telling a true story and it’s her story it was easy for her. My Mom’s magic is to make audiences feel like they are hearing that story for the first time.”
Written and performed by Ravi, the play is a Why Not Theatre production. Why Not Theatre was founded by Ravi in 2007 when he felt the need to recreate and reinvent storytelling. Ravi was later joined by Owais Lightwala and Kelly Read.
Desi Today caught up with Ravi to talk about this play and his journey and his unique take on social issue.
Please tell our readers something about yourself and how did you get interested in the theatre?
I was born in Toronto. My parents are from New Delhi. They immigrated to Canada in 1974. I grew up watching a lot of Amitabh Bacchan movies. Every weekend, a lot of immigrant families would get together and there would be a lot of singing and performing at those parties. So I would lip-sync to Amitabh’s songs to make them laugh. It was all a slippery slope from there…
2) Your group Why Not Theatre was an outcome of your rejection from “traditional” theatre companies. Could you please tell us more about what inspired you to form Why Not?
As an artist I want to make a positive change in the world. With Why Not I can do that in a unique way that is on my own terms. When I was first starting out in Canada, building a company was the only way to make space for my voice. As I did that, I faced a lot of barrier. I also saw the barriers that so many others, faced. So when I built a company, I decided I was going to do it in a way that would change the system and and remove those barriers to the best of our ability.
How do you think this pandemic has further pushed the creative boundaries of performance groups? Is a digital experience equally satisfying as live theatre?
I think the most important thing it has done for the arts is to force us all to look at the inequity in the sector. That is the thing that I hope brings about the important change for everyone to be more actively engaged in the arts.
Please tell us something about your play A Brimful of Asha? How did you come up with it?
It’s a true story, and I thought it was relatable to a lot of people. I invited my mom on stage because I think her voice is important. I didn’t agree with her, but I respected and understood where she was coming from- she’s also hilarious.
The story of South Asian parents forcing their kids to marry is not very new. Many films, theatre groups and even stand-up comedians have made it a subject of their discussion. What is it that makes your story unique?
Its unique because it happened to us. There are similarities to other people’s stories, but ours is our own. The uniqueness in what we’ve done is that my mom gets to tell her side from her point of view.
Why do you think instead of being a very old and cultural subject it still appeals to a global audience?
I think there will always be a clash between parents and children fighting over the future. More and more we are straddling traditions, cultures and what the best choices are for the future.
South Asian parents are usually stereo-typed. Does your play shatter this image?
In our play my mom is my mom. She isn’t performing “the idea of an Indian mom”. She is my mom. She is her authentic self. In our play, you meet real people. For me our show is a way of humanizing that image, and really getting an audience to understand and empathize with both points of view.
What do you want audience to take away from this play?
That we can disagree with each other, but still love and understand each other. That parents and children have a divide that is rooted in the pursuit of the same goal, love.
What are some of your future projects?
Currently working on a new adaptation of the Mahabharata. I’ve been working on it for 6 years, it will premier in 2022. I am also working on a new play with David Suzuki and his wife Tara Cullis, which we will share with online audiences in may 2021.
