A Sister Like You is the latest addition to the list of play readings. Written by Dina Mehta, it marks the return of Nikhil Kapoor (of Pearl Padamsee's Elephant Man fame) to the stage, after many years. Directed by Jiten Merchant (his earlier readings of Antigone, Goa, The Dresser, Electra were a big success) the play is of special interest because it deals with violence against women. Set in Mumbai, it has local situations, language, dress, accents. Andthe writing by Mehta creates the right ambience and paints vivid pictures of reality. By introducing Vandana Gupte and Nagesh Bhonsle as the domestic bai Janki and the woman-beating brute Dhondu, even the English writing -- with clever editing and construction of sentences, and the introduction of colloquialisms and swear words common among the working class milieu -- comes alive in the voices.

Dina Mehta has drawn parallels between an educated middle-class family and a blue-collar family, and the motivations for violence which result in the same end result -- battering, broken bones. The response and reaction of both family members -- literate and illiterate -- and the acceptance of their respective situations is very astutely introduced. Shanti (played by me), as the erudite but unattractive sister rejected by the promising adonis Pradeep (Kapoor) who gets attracted to the seductive younger sister Kavita (Dipika Roy), chooses to become a school teacher. She leads a simple life, and attracts theattentions of a brilliant writer Tushar Mansingh (Denzil Smith), eight years her junior. After the first flush of romance and sex with Kavita, Pradeep drowns his disappointment over intellectual incompatibility and failed ambitions -- which he had shared with Shanti -- in drink, and resorts to taking out his frustration by beating Kavita. During a violent fight, Kavita hits him on the head with the first object she can lay her hands on, to defend herself. And runs to her sister Shanti's house for refuge. Shanti and Kavita meet after many years. And in between recriminations and accusations, and swinging between emotions of sibling rivalry and filial loyalty, they come together to seek the help of a woman's organisation, run by an ex-student Divya (Devika Shanani).

Running parallel to the main plot is Janki's story. Her out-of-work drunk brother-in-law Dhondu comes in search for the money that Janki's sister had given to Janki for safekeeping. When he cannot find it, he lies in wait for Janki in herjhopadpatti, and pounces on her unexpectedly. In the battle that ensues, Janki is badly bruised and hurting, and returns to her memsahib Shanti's home where a similar story is being played out. As relief from this intense plot, Dina Mehta has introduced a Mrs Advani (Anju Bedi), the mother of a 10-year-old that Shanti has failed in her class, and Jojo (Shekhar Paleja), the rock musician fiancee of Divya.

Jiten Merchant, in his direction of this reading, has kept the motivations for every word, sentence and situation in mind. Now it is for the audience to assess whether such orchestrated readings should become regular theatre happenings for a paid audience.

At the British Council Auditorium, Mittal Tower, C Wing, Nariman Point. On Sept 23, 1998. Time: 6.30 pm.