Rukmini Vijayakumar in The Lady of Burma

Dancer and actress Rukmini Vijayakumar met theatre personality Prakash Belawadi in 2009 and the two discussed concepts that they wanted to stage. That is when they decided to do a play on the life of an inspiring Asian woman.
“We decided to stage the life of Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi, but back then, she was still under house arrest. However, a little after our discussion, we read about her in the news and decided to present her life story in theatre,” says Rukmini.During their research, Prakash decided to write the play, but soon enough they stumbled upon an already written play by Richard Shannon — The Lady of Burma.
“Richard’s script was comprehensive and well-written, which is why Prakash and I decided to stage it,” says the dancer, adding, “It was the first time that I was working with Prakash in this capacity. Since his direction is stylized, it took me some time to understand how he wanted me to act. I’ve acted in films and theatre before, but The Lady of Burma was my first one-woman full-length show and it was a huge learning experience.”
The play, which narrates the struggles of Suu Kyi, is emotionally intense, with a lot of layers and meaning. “The first time I did the entire play, I was so exhausted emotionally that I didn’t eat properly for almost five days. Only after doing it three times could I bring myself to normalcy,” reveals Rukmini.
Known for the use of subtle tools to elevate the underlying emotion, the play features music composed by Pallavi Arun. Impressed by how quickly Pallavi composed the tunes for the play, Rukmini says, “Though the music is not present all through, the interludes offer mood at various points in the play.”
The Lady of Burma is being staged at Jagriti Theatre, Ramagondanahalli, Varthur Road, Whitefield, on July 12 (8 pm) and July 13 (3 pm and 6.30 pm)