Lillette Dubey pays tribute to Devika Rani through a play

Personifying women empowerment in a patriarchal society in the 1930s, the First Lady of Indian Cinema Devika Rani was an embodiment of strength, courage and valour. 

Director and actor Lillette Dubey will bring alive her story through a play. While Ira Dubey will play the title role, it will also feature Joy Sengupta, Rishi Khurana, Nandita Dubey, Aakanksha Kadre, Pranav Sachdev and Kashyap Shangari. The play is written by Kishwar Desai and directed by Lillette.

The play will focus on the life and struggles of an independent, ambitious woman who was determined to make it big in the acting profession. Having studied acting from London and with an inborn passion for it, Devika lit up the silver screen every time she was on it. 

Director Lillette Dubey says, “Devika Rani is an inspiration to all of us, men and women. She thought ahead of her time and stood her ground in a society that stepped on women’s ambitions. To be able to pay a small tribute to her courage through this play is an honour and a pleasure for me. Showhouse has always encouraged good stories and this is proof of it.”

Omer Haidar, MD, Showhouse added, “Lillette Dubey’s vision as a director stems from her innate knowledge of content and acting. She understands the industry and we are happy to catalyse her imagination to create a story as powerful and stimulating as Devika Rani.”

Organised by Showhouse, the play will be performed across Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram and Bangalore. Dates for Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Baroda will be announced soon. The play premiers at the end of August.