The year 2007 was a significant year for theatre artist Aneesha Madhok when she questioned her parents for the first time. Through her debut play, Aliza Free that will be staged on October 23, she continues to ask the same questions—‘‘Why is there a segregation between the visually impaired and the ones who are not? Why haven’t I ever seen any blind people at parties? Why are they always excluded from the mainstream life? Why are their lives so different from all of us? Why haven’t we been able to extend a hand of friendship towards them?’’ asks Aneesha, restlessly. 

Not sure when all the answers will reveal themselves, Aneesha waits for them  hopefully, nonetheless. Through her dance-drama, this 17-year-old class XII student and founder of El Tamim Productions (EL Tamim means strong and solid in Arabic), will create awareness for her visually impaired friends, and try and urge everybody to help these people live fulfilled lives with long-lasting friendships.

Choreographed by Fernando Aguilera, the director of Imperial Ballet Co, Aneesha has all the support from her team of artists. She is accompanied by NSD graduates and IFBC trainers in the show who relate to her thinking. Even though Aneesha is the youngest among them, she has made herself well aware of her responsibilities and doesn’t waste a second. All she does these days is rehearse. Both, written and conceptualised by her, she is optimistic about it connecting with her audiences. “Of the 37 million visually impaired people in this world, 15 million are Indians, making India home to the largest blind population. That is startling if you ask me. Fifteen million is a huge number and to know that they face extreme struggles personally and professionally, is heart-wrenching. The least we can do is extend a hand of friendship to the less fortunate,” says Aneesha, who took a few days to chart out the script of the play. “I wanted it to be perfect. This is my chance to say and depict what I feel and I hope it will resonate with everybody,” she says, adding, “The drama is set in Jerusalem in the 1950s and has a lot of Israeli influence. It is a concept you would have never seen. With the weather opening up now, it will be a great time to head out of the house and watch a nice performance,” she says.

Her efforts don’t stop at helping her differently abled friends by just aiding them financially. That, in fact, is a small part in granting them the happiness they deserve. “Charity is not what these people need. They need support and that is why I am working on a dot. com, which will be a social networking website for the blind and people like you and me, who can ‘see’ their needs and make a positive difference by befriending them on www.alizafree.com,’’ she says.

Date October 23

Time 7 pm

Venue Shri Ram Centre, Mandi House

Source: The New Indian Express