Democracy is a fragile idea this week. Even as we write, an increasing uncertainty envelops the world, and it only feels more chaotic by the hour. “Finding the right words to articulate the feelings, the anger and even disappointment can be hard at such moments. That’s why works like these are all the more relevant,” shares Parna Pethe. The director is preparing for the latest staging of her directorial debut, Something Like Truth, at the NCPA this weekend.

The journey of the play began early in 2024 when Pethe was looking to transition from actor to director. “I had worked across films and theatre, predominantly in Marathi, and wanted to explore direction. I was actually reading Gurmehar Kaur’s Small Acts of Freedom. But the permissions for adaptation proved quite complex,” she admits.

A moment from the performance