Leela Jhansi staged to a full house

Leela Jhansi, a play written by Fa Abdul was staged to a full house attendance in its maiden debut held at Komtar’s ‘Auditorium A’ on April 3. The play, centred around Leela, a 13-year-old from a remote village, whose father receives a marriage proposal from a middle-aged wealthy man, was produced by Big Nose Productions. Running for three consecutive days over the weekend, starting on Friday,

 In this day and age, where many women are still confined to the kitchen, a vocal activist has once again challenged conventional beliefs to shine a spotlight on the dilemmas of child marriages. 'Leela Jhansi', Fa Abdul’s latest play produced by Big Nose Productions, will be staged at Komtar’s Auditorium A from May 3 to 5.

 Leela Jhansi’s story plot raises thought-provoking questions about the justification of child marriage in dire circumstances, the blurred line between tradition and exploitation, and the consequences of society's skewed priorities.

The cast comprises Chrisalynn Lim, playing the role of the protagonist, along with Lucille Dass as Dadi, Leela’s grandmother, and Sidhart Joe Dev as Palwankar, Leela’s father. Others include Suresh Ramskay as Leela’s husband, Damodaram, Monica Mohan as Ram Rati, Ivan Gabriel as Manju, Billy Aurelia Ooi as Rajbala, Sri Kugan as Kanshi, and Menan Mohan as Bangaru.

Attributing her story’s inspiration to a real-life incident in 2018, Fa said, “Back in 2018, a piece of deeply disturbing news broke of a 41-year-old man marrying an 11-year-old girl, with the consent of her parents, in exchange for financial assistance.”

 Fa acknowledged that child marriage could be a sensitive topic, especially among Malays, and said, “It's often justified under Islamic law. But just because something's been endorsed in the past doesn't mean it's right.

“I'm a firm believer that we shouldn't simply accept outdated practices without question,” she said, adding that Leela Jhansi was one way to encourage others to challenge societal norms and think critically about issues like child marriage.

Referring to an incident in 2017, during which the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017 was being debated in parliament, she said, “A former Syariah court judge, who was also an MP, opposed including child marriage as an offence. He went as far as to claim that some nine-year-olds were physically and spiritually ready for marriage. And shockingly, he suggested that if an adult raped an underage child, the solution was to marry them off.”

Fa also noted that the former MP’s statement created some unrest, but then it seemed to fade away. “Fast forward three years later, guess what? The same MP gets a promotion, landing a deputy minister’s job. Yep, that’s the state of affairs in our country,” she pointed out.

The outspoken playwright also highlighted the lack of representation for the Indian community in Malaysian theatre. “Being able to contribute a script specifically tailored for this community and providing opportunities for young Indian actors has been immensely fulfilling.

“It's a small step, but I'm proud to be part of diversifying the local theatre scene and shining a spotlight on talented individuals who often go unnoticed,” she said.

LeelaJhansi was supported by the Penang’s Chief Minister's Office, Penang State Exco for Social Development, Welfare, and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs, Hin Bus Depot and Sekenet Penang (Persatuan Seni Warisan Estetik Pulau Pinang).