On a Wing and a Prayer

Milu has the special trait of all carrier pigeons — it can always find its way around. This makes Milu a valuable little bird,especially in times of war. Choiti Ghosh’s new play,A Bird’s Eye View,follows the pigeon as it becomes a part of a war that it neither cares about nor comprehends fully. In the process,Ghosh turns the mirror at our own lives,indicating how we,too,have no choice but become a part of systems that are far bigger and more complex than us. The play will be staged at Studio Safdar in Shadikhampur.

Ghosh’s brand of theatre,called ‘Object Theatre’,uses found objects — items that aren’t created specifically for a play but are,instead,an integral part of daily life. A Bird’s Eye View uses “familiar objects such as children’s toys and kitchen utensils to create a metaphor of a game,” says Ghosh. The hour-long play is non-verbal,but Ghosh uses the objects to speak volumes. In one scene,a pair of big boots is training several little shoes in the art of clandestine warfare. The little shoes are strung up on a puppet bar,which big boots manipulates. The storyline switches from satire to humour to plain ridiculous,as Milu attempts to give the audience a bird’s eye view into their own world.

A Bird’s Eye View will be staged at

Studio Safdar in New Delhi on June 30.

Contact: studiosafdar@gmail.com