Yuma: For women, by women

Kathmandu/ May 27: ‘Yuma,’ which is currently being staged at Mandala Theater in Anamnagar, presents the story of women in search of emancipation: Yuma (Srijana Subba), whose husband is abroad and yet tries to dictate her life; divorcee Manji (Pashupati Rai), former Maoist combatant who is now member of the Constituent Assembly; Tanuja (Kenipa Singh), a victim of domestic violence; and Khusboo (Sarita Sah), an ex-Kamalari.

Taking the reference of Goddess Yuma, who is worshipped first in the Limbu tradition, Yug Pathak has beautifully woven the story of present-day Yuma and her struggle for freedom. Most dialogues are replete with carefully chosen metaphors but aren’t too complex for the audiences to understand.
Srijana Subba, who has turned director with ‘Yuma,’ has done a commendable job. While playing the titular character with flair, she has also been able to bring the best out of carefully chosen characters. From Manji’s empowered self brought about by her challenging past, to Tanuja getting over her fear of her abusive husband, their performance is impressive, to say the least.

The whole play is set in Ladies’ Corner—a tea shop run by Yuma, Manji and Khusboo for self-reliance and place for women of all ages to hang out and share their stories. While the characters are busy discussing life and love, there are others in the background ordering tea, taking selfies, and indulging in (inaudible) conversations, creating the impression of a real cafeteria.

Interestingly, Ladies’ Corner also has a table reserved for men. In the play largely dominated by female characters, Rangeen Raag (Ankeet Khadka), a regular at Ladies’ Corner——makes for an interesting character. He plays guitar, sings, and even helps with the shop’s chores in his attempt to win Yuma’s heart, all the while making the audiences laugh with his cheesy dialogues.

While ‘Yuma’ centers on stories of women suffering at the hands of patriarchal society, it also has characters like Lokesh (Jiban Bhattarai), a lawyer who advocates against domestic violence. He inspires hope for an equal and just society, and echoes the play’s message of encouraging women to fight for their own rights.

Yuma’s abusive husband Sundar (Sulakshan Bharati) makes a brief appearance towards the end of the play, but his powerful performance leaves a lasting impression.

Besides impressive performances, what also makes ‘Yuma’ worth watching are the set design, lighting, and the coordination of music and sound effects.

Don’t miss this one.

‘Yuma’ is being staged every day at 5:15 PM except Mondays till June 13.

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/lifestyle/story/43112/yuma-for-women-by-women.html#sthash.Q9bsLnq5.dpuf