There is a moment in Gauhar when the glitter around Gauhar Jaan seems to fall away, and what remains is simply a woman who has lived too much, too soon. That, for me, is where Lillete Dubey’s play becomes most affecting.
But Girija also allows us to see the hurt underneath it with the younger Gauhar’s experiences, the rape and loss of her child at 13, and the relationships that didn’t survive. What lingers, though, is Gauhar, the first Indian voice to be recorded on the gramophone in 1902. Girija Oak carries much of it, and she is phenomenal. What makes her performance work is that she doesn’t play Gauhar as some larger-than-life historical figure all the time. There is the swagger, certainly. The confidence. The extravagant woman who knew she was a star. Live classical music is woven naturally into the narrative, with Girija moving between Hindustani, Bengali, Marathi and English. It never feels like a musical interlude inserted to remind us that Gauhar was a singer, but showcases that the music is part of who she is. Lillete’s direction keeps the production visually rich, with costumes and music evoking the period. fame could not protect her from loneliness or loss While she became a sensation and lived a life of extraordinary highs and lows. Yes, especially if you enjoy music-led theatre and stories of extraordinary women. Worth a watch
And perhaps that is what makes her story worth telling even today: behind the celebrated voice was a woman who wanted to be heard, loved and remembered.