Red Light Express carries real life stories

Hyderabad-based ArtLife Events is coming up with a play called ‘Red-Light Batti Express’. Presented by Kranti, a Mumbai-based NGO, it is a play by daughters of sex workers; an attempt to change how human trafficking is perceived. ‘Kranti’ empowers girls from Mumbai's red-light areas to become agents of social change. They currently work with 20 girls, aged 13-23 who are daughters of sex workers and survivors of trafficking.

“Here every girl has a story to tell and the play is one among the other therapies to treat these distressed girls. The theatre play emphasises the life they had lead and urges the society to accept them with humanity and learn that they are innocents,” says Robin Chaurasiya, Co-Founder.

Pankaj Tiwari, theatre artist, shares, “The girls here are very talented and give their best on stage. The theatre play is a story telling session woven with snippets from their own stories. We always try to portray the play differently each time to splash a new impression all the time”. He adds that the team is on practice mode to hit the target date, January 21.

“I have been with Kranti for 10 years and living a great life”, says 17-year-old Taniya, who is getting ready to showcase her story on stage. Kranti went to her rescue on 9 June 2017 when she was going to give up life. She was recurrently dismissed from society. She was beaten up and had gone through series of sexual abuses.

 “There was no one to listen and wipe my tears; instead, I was treated as untouchable. Kranti supported me and gave me a voice to tell the world that I am not wrong and has rendered a platform to express my inner anguish,” she relates. Taniya is now geared up to perform during the upcoming event and expresses pride when asked about her performance in UK and the US. She adds that dance keeps her past away.

For the family of three daughters, Shweta, Asmita, Shredha and mother, Vandhana the NGO became a home after the eldest daughter Sweta forced her mother to quit home and approach Kranti. 

“My father is a drunkard and frequent quarrels at home had driven me to approach Kranti. Later, I brought my two sisters and mother here, who started to live a new life and are working for the growth of the organisation,” she said.

Latha, daughter of a sex worker who has recently become a part of Kranti said that she was harassed and beaten up by her step father. When they performed, 10 weeks in the UK at the world's largest performing arts festival, the play received rave reviews and was also covered by BBC earlier this year. ArtLife brings the unique play to India for the first time ever, and Hyderabad will host it on January 21 at N Convention.