Project Darling presented by Dramanon, Bengaluru, is a witty, daring exploration of female sexuality, misogyny and gender bias.Directed by Sharanya Ramprakash, the quintessential feminist play presented at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala, unapologetically confronts the patriarchal constraints on the female body and exposes society’s hypocritical double standards.The play is the culmination of a two-year research project conducted by Ms. Ramprakash with the grant from the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA). This research delved into the presence of women in Kannada theatre since 1940s, unearthing stories of actresses who once dominated the stage.Central to the narrative is Khanavali Chenni, who ruled the Kannada stage with her bold performances laced with double-meaning dialogues and sexual innuendo. The play Project Darling follows a troupe of performers on a quest to uncover Chenni’s legacy, leading them to encounter tales of other prominent actresses of her era.Oscillating between humour and wisdom, Project Darling is an incisive examination of female sexuality at the crossroads of censorships and culture and how these women faced the unrelenting misogyny.“Women and female bodies are central to Kannada’s cultural imagination. Still there is a lot of censorship around female bodies in these spaces. The female performing body has been subject to several types of invisibilisation and marginalisation across the history of theatre,” says Ms. Ramprakash.From the 1940s onwards, with the talkies forcing the companies to induct women actresses, the stage began to thrive with talented women whose artistry, dedication, and hard work played a crucial role in the growth and flourishing of Kannada theatre.Yet, modern Kannada theatre (1870- present) has little to no writing or records of these actresses, who were acclaimed singers and actors of the stage through whom the culture defined itself, she noted.She embarked on a mission to unearth the previously overlooked and unresearched stories of marginalised Kannada theatre actresses, aiming to explore how they defined and challenged societal notions of female respectability and vulgarity. How did these women navigate the relentless misogyny embedded in the world of Kannada theatre, and what strategies did they employ to carve out space for themselves in an industry dominated by patriarchal values?Project Darling seeks to honour these often-overlooked contributions, weaving their stories into the fabric of contemporary theatre. The play challenges traditional notions of female sexuality and celebrates their choices unapologetically.Published - February 26, 2025 08:57 pm IST