India, Sept. 19 -- New Delhi

One evening, a decade ago, Bhumika Dube - who was still a student at the National School of Drama (NSD) - watched in awe a 70-year-old caretaker, atop a ladder, plucking jamun from a tree, albeit guided by younger helpers. "She had mustered up the courage to do this, she followed her heart, her desires. And her name was Kela. This simple act soon turned into an idea for my play, Kela Jamunwali," said Dube.

The 75-minute Hindi play is being staged in the city on September 23 as a part of the annual theatre festival by India Habitat Centre (IHC). "I have always questioned the orthodox marriage traditions of my family, of getting women married to trees first in case their astrological charts are not considered ...