Honourable MALLIKA JI,

It is a matter of heavenly pleasure for me to write this little letter of appreciation for the noble task you have undertaken. I watched your mesmerizing and hypnotising flawless rendition of ANSUNI in PALI MARWAR on 13th of Jan 2008. I celebrated melting in tears with the motley coloured characters drawn from real and not from the reel life.
you deserve all kudos for such an inspired movement you have undertaken. People like you are the truest salt of the earth and we need such devoted souls today who not only dream but dare to do !
an artiste of hi watermark reputation opting to perform in the backward areas of Rajasthan proves it all beyond doubt.
by the grace of God i am P.G. in Eng and running two schools and a spoken english/literature institute. composing ghazals,hindi eng poems and recently working on a fiction in english.
wishing to join hands with you in the gerat Yagya you have initiated.

Once again kindly accept my gratitude and felicitations....

YOGENDRA ARYA
c/o RAINBOW PUBLIC SCHOOL
RISE EDUCATION
1, RUI KATLA
PALI RAJASTHAN 306401
yarya@yahoo.com

HI ! IT'S NAKUL KUNDRA FROM THE DEPT. OF ENGLISH, PANJAB UNIVERSITY ,CHANDIGARH.
I AM LUCKY TO WITNESS THE WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE OF 'UNSUNI'.BEING A STUDENT OF LITERATURE, I APPROACHED THE THEATRE TO APPRECIATE THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF THE PLAY. BUT IT TAUGHT ME-'ART FOR LIFE'S SAKE'.
NO ONE CAN ESCAPE FROM BEING A SOCIAL CRUSADER AFTER WATCHING IT, I FEEL.
APART FROM THAT, THE ACTORS HAVE DONE FULL JUSTICE TO THEIR ROLES.THE CLAPS OF MAD MAN(I DONT KNOW HIS NAME) SATIRISE THE FLICKERING ESSENCE OF HUMANITY.THE PERSON ,WHO HAS PLAYED THIS ROLE, IS ACTUALLY MADE FOR IT.AND, MY APPRECIATION GOES TO M. SARABHAI FOR CHOOSING THE REAL GEMS TO MAKE US REALISE THE VERY BLACK CORNERS OF OUR HEARTS.
REWANTA'S LOOKS SPEAK A LOT.HIS FACIAL GESTURES, ELOQUENT EYES AND BODY LANGAUAGE DO THE INEXPRESSIBLE WONDER!
ARUNDATI, IN THE LEAD ROLE OF AN UNTOUCHABLE, WINS OUR APPLAUSE FOR THE ESSENTIAL SHARP LOOKS.
I DONT KNOW THE NAMES OF ALL THE CREW MEMBERS.IN SHORT, EVERY ONE ,ON THE STAGE , WINS OUR HEARTS.THEY ARE BEYOND THE WORLDLY PRAISE BECAUSE OF THEIR SPITUAL MOTIVES .
MY ATTEMPT TO QUENCH THE LITERARY THIRST OF MY SPIRIT BROUGHT A REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IN ME. NOW, I CAN REALISE HOW CAN THE PAINS AND PANGS OF LIFE BE UNBEARALE .THE SHRIEKS OF THE POOR REMAIN UNHEARD IN THE TRYING AND HARD TIMES. LET US COME AND JOIN HANDS TO SOOTHE THE BLEEDING SOULS OF THE REAL INDIA OF 'UNSUNI'.
HAVE A BIG HAND FOR THE WHOLE TEAM OF 'UNSUNI'.
WITH BEST WISHES,
NAKUL KUNDRA
THE DEPT. OF ENGLISH
PANJAB UNIVERSITY
CHANDIGARH

Ever since I saw ‘Unsuni’ at Panjab University yesterday, I have been asking myself… is it ‘unsuni’… as in unheard voices… or are these voices muffled such that we can pretend to be living in a utopian world? And muzzled not by an external physical force, but by the very weight of our conscience itself? It is very ironic to me that our very soul has become so sensitive that to protect it we delude ourselves with the idea of a perfect world. Or it is that we are so dejected and beaten by the ravages of these times ‘ke sun kar bhi, hum unsuni kar dete hain’? These questions must never end… for when they do, so will the hope…

i saw your performance at Indian theatre department panjab university . it touched my heart and soul. earlier i had never thought about the social issues in this manner , after i saw your performance, i was touched withing . i want to congatulate you and i want to thank you for coming here at Chandigarh with these social issues.

I happened to watch your play in Bharathiya vidya Bhavan, Bangalore two days ago. It was amazing. Each and Every episode struck my cord. The entire play was very well co-ordinated and flawless. All artists are simply superb. The play has a message for everyone. I specially liked the remix of hindi popular songs. That was a clinching point.Keep up the good work. I would like to contribute to the cause in whatever way possible.

umakathyayini

despite a smaller than average audience and some technical hiccups, you guys were absolutely rivetting. i was throughly impressed by the plot of the play and its well paced, jazzed up presentation (i liked the remixing of popular music very much). however, it was the emotion and depth of the acting that really moved me. it was a painful, yet educating experience to see frustration, angst and deprivation in the lives of so many indians and this play was unusually invasive and thought provoking. i must congratulate the entire team for such an effort. best of luck for your future endeavors. i would love to help you guys in any way possible.

There's no other word for the production. It was mind-blowing. I watched Unsuni at Vidya Niketan yesterday, and it held me spellbound for two hours. I've always wanted to be a lawyer for human rights in Africa and now, after Unsuni, I realise that our country, our India, needs that the most.
The acting and portrayal of the destitute was amazing. Larger than life at times and yet astonishingly close to reality, Unsuni got me thinking about what I can do to help.
When i went home, I told my mom about the play and she was amazed at how excited (yes, hyper) I was. This production has touched many lives and will continue to do so in the future as performing arts are much more powerful than mere words. I am truly honoured that I had the chance to watch Ms. Mallika Sarabhai and her troupe at their best.

Dear Mrs. Sarabhai and the entire Unsuni team,
I watched your performance at Mallya Aditi just two days ago and I was moved, to say the least. I think that in this India, where we are surrounded by skeptics and cynical people alike, your play managed to bring a sense of optimism; a feeling that every single person can, and should, do something. I think you succeeded in bringing awareness about the 'other' India to children from fairly affluent backgrounds. Several parts of your play left us, the audience, in tears. Particularly the one about the riots. No amount of newspaper articles could have done that to me.
Your performance was truly motivating!
Thank you!
Suchitra

i watched the play at vidya niketan today...iam a student of class 12.... and was overwhelmed by the entire show....wow, what an performance..... the script, acting,and effects were mindblowing....amazing way to reach out to the audience with the message..... thank you Ms mallika sarabhai... i was touched

i always wanted to do something ...and these issues have been burning me from within.... i have taken a few initiatives in the past..... but iam now convinced that its high time people like us start doing something serious of the country.......

I watched Unsuni at my school (Vidya Niketan) just a couple of hours ago. I was speechless at the end of it. There was a lump in my throat throughout the play and my eyes were burning during the depiction of the Hindu/Muslim riots. I still have no words to describe the play.
After watching it, all the doubts about my future seem to have vanished from my mind. I have always aspired to be a social activist, but have never known exactly how to go about it. I don't even think I had ever wanted to be it enough. But now I really want to help my country, and the rest of the world, in any possible way I can. Thank you, Ms. Mallika Sarabhai and your brilliantly talented team, for opening my eyes to the gruesome nature of the state of this country. I will make a difference.

hey..i saw your play in aditi yesterday and i thought it was really nice . i think it made many people think abotu what each one of us can do to help and i do think that if each of us take little tiny steps that would make many big steps. i personally have already started doing somthing small...i have started making a book on child labour for little kids to understand so that they grow up having some sort of awareness about the issue and start thinkin aboutit..i really appreciate the effort you have taken and i hope you touch many more people in the future
thank you ...devika

hi... i watched the play at mallya aditi international school and i really liked it. i am happy to know that you are trying to create a new india through innovative means of communication.
i would like to stay in touch to be able to participate in the work that you do. since, i am a school student i would be able to participate in bangalore at this point of time.
i would like to take this oppurtunity to congrajulate you and all the participants. i was really inspired.
koyal

Dear Mallika and the Unsuni team,

I am so deeply moved by your show in Aditi and Srishti today. I know it has moved many, many in the audience. Young and old alike. I know many of us wept. It is hard to understand why human beings are just so cruel to one of their own kind.

But every story you presented had a hopeful ending. That is what is so inspiring. Not only is your show creating awareness it is stirring each heart into some kind of action. Amazing!

As for the theatrical component of the show - it was truly excellent. I loved the choreography, the direction, the coordinated movement,and above all, the passion of the entire cast. Kudos to each and every one of you, including the brave drivers who transported the sets and props, including that Khatiya that was just so evocative!

Thank you to each one of you. You are blessed to be doing such wonderful work so effectively and I hope it continues, grows and explodes in its reach and energy!

Tara Kini

watched Unsuni at ITPB today and it is a phenomenal dance drama. Hats off to the Mallika and team who portrayed the roles so convincingly and brought us back to reality!
Theme is excellent, and performance also.
Thank you.

I just watched your magical performance at Christ, and as a student, would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU for the number of closed eyes you opened, and the number of open eyes you opened even wider!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Please continue to keep in touch with our college on such issues, and help to keep open the eyes you've opened!

I watched your play this evening at Bishop Cotton Boys School. It was a tremendously different perspective on the 'Great Indian Tamasha'. It's sad how fear of the downtrodden increases hatred for them in the heart of the other India. Consequently many children are taught that care is a weakness and to 'suceed' in life, one must be 'practical'. In a hypocritical society where saying nice things and not following them is often advised and never questioned, it is important to make the youth realise that individual effort on each one's part does count and can make a difference.

unsuni to say is superb n it is needed in this type of world for awakening youth n children like us........which finally makes a brighter future............i am really motivated by the message it has behind it n the way it was put up................i trully apologise mrs mallika for being one of those who at time dint take it seriously..............there is no need for a iim person to do such things either she can also do a heavy salaried job like others do maam ive been in abad n i know how is it to carry out such things.......................hats off to u............n u have acomplished d mission of doing something in my mind..........................

i will make a difference!!

visheet arya

I am HJKP,bangalore and i had watched the prog at seva sadan...seriously your troop was amazing...the plays were really touching. they were really emotional...and even the topics or say the instances represented in the play were great...in fact one of friends was deeply touched and was sad and sobbed lightly at what he saw.
Unsuni is the ultimate...it is the best i have ever come across.
My family and i have been helping the poor ever since a long time...that is we donate old clothes and old empty books to slums or whoever to our house...not just that but we even give them food when they come to our house...
i'm really impressed by UNSUNI...i request whoever is reading this, kindly take India's matter as a true citizen of india and help Unsuni in their mission to Change india better, by helping the weaker sections of the society, being kind to people, showing courtesy, donating,and most of all BE THE CHANGE...
Congrats once again...and hats off to mrinalni sarabhai (mallika sarabhai's mother) who was vikram sarabhai's wife and great dancer, for raising funds for opening the girls orphanage at seva sadan, by dancing...thats true humanity...

i wish that india changes soon...Lets wish UNSUNI all success they need....
GUD LUCK

"LOVE OTHERS AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE YOURSELVES."

i saw your play .its good prediction of reality of Indians and hats off to mallika sarabhai predicting it.
we need more people like her.
thank you

I watched your performance at Valley School yesterday and was impressed both by the idea and thought behind the play as well as the performance. I however felt that some of the scenes may have been a little overpowering for the tiny tots. They may need to have some discussions to understand what was being portrayed.

I would love to take this to other schools and have the children themselves perform and spread this message.

Good show!

Priya

I saw unsuni at The Valley School and was spellbound at the powerful portrayal of the real unsuni people in this country. As I see it, we Indians should not adjust/tolerate. We adjust with bad roads, tolerate foul stench, forget about killings, deaths the minute we turn the page of the paper. There is no value for human life in this country. If all of us can raise our standards high, we are sure to elicit more respect and less division.
I would for sure get in touch with helping out the unsunis of this country. I volunteer at a school for slum children and the way the children just want to touch you, catch your hands, talk to you, be your friends... just makes me happy. I just remember we are all children of God. Just making an appearance in this world. Let us all live happily.

I watched unsuni at the valley yesterday and was deeply moved by the performance, particularly by the simplicity with which the message was sent across.I would definitely like to be a part of your movement

I watched the performance at The Valley School and came away deeply moved - overwhelmed in fact. And inspired to do something to contribute to the movement.

I strongly disagree with Murali, and from his opinions , am led to beleive that he watched the play from a narrow perspective.
I was part of the audience too, and am surprised by his interpretation..Firstly no one assumes that folks at IIM B alone are on top of the pyramid.Pyramid, incidentally is not a word used to bury the dead( haha- that's funny)Pyramid- let me explain it mathematically for your better understanding - A pyramid is any three-dimensional structure where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point. (source-wikipedia)
Also,the "Christian brother role" is a part of a particular story in the play..Had you looked at the bigger piture ,you would've realised it had nothing to do with religion..Kindly refrain from marginalising art in this manner.
Your experience with the tribal guy is unique and I'm sure has a message of it's own..But it cannot be extrapolated in the larger sense.
I truly believe in the power of theatre to influence the audience and convey a message .I would like to beleive that UNSUNI,in true spirit of theatre, left a deep impact with most of us.

I am absolutely overwhelmed by the UNSUNI experience.The group delivered a spell-binding performance at IIM -B today and drove the message home in an unforgettable manner!!

I would also like to add , perhaps for the benefit of those who've never volunteered before, that the few hours that I have spent volunteering at a school for rescued street children has made my life so much colourful.. Spending a few hours with these kids,was an eye-opener not only in terms of the fact that I had deeply under estimated their talent, but also that there are so many dimensions to life that we ignore, when we're caught up in the rat race..The wide grins and the sheer joy in their faces after spending a couple of hours just makes you realize, that it doesnt take much to make a positive difference in someone else's life!

I watched the play att IIMB.
The play lacks insight and it assumes that the IIMB people are at the TOP of the PYRAMID. "PYRAMID" is a word used to bury the dead. As the play showed the system built by these intelligent people (Education,Judiciary, Admiinstration ) is actually dead.
And the play wants to change the system by putting more people on "TOP of the "Pyramid". By doing this will the Pyramid become a living tree.
Will the "Pyramid" throw away great visionaries ?
The end of the play shows as though the Christian Father is only doing real service and the people at IIM are not doing any service to the "Poor Brothers".

Infact these priests are responsible for immense conflict in the name of religion. Let me share some points rised by a tribal youth I met at BR Hills .

He worked in Bangalore for 5k/month . After spending 3 months he got fed up with city culture , for he was never used to live in the closed walls.
So he ran back to his forest and is happy living a free life with no thouhgt abt status ,job, prestige etc. He has no diesase and gets good water and good air .
Where do we get that in Bangalore ?

He told me "This civilization might collapse in few years becoz of Destruction of nature and forest "
Showing the dry land from the top of the hill, he said
"Look Sir, Man has made this earth ugly and i do not know how he lives on the ugly earth !"
And there were some christian missionaries out there to convert tribals to "Christians".
The insight I had was if the whole wolrd converts from "Christians ", "Muslims" to tribal way of living with harmony with nature humanity might exist. And not the other way .
Otherwise we perish.That man was the most gentle man i ever have met !
Trust me inspite of so much injustice done to them he will never be a naxalite nor a thief.
So please dont request the people to do service by saying these people will become Naxalites and will kill you, if you do not serve them !
They are not so clever nor so cunning like the educated ones.
They need no service except non intervention in their life in the name of religion and development.

I watched Unsuni at Valley School today and it is a phenomenal dance drama. Hats off to the actors who portrayed the roles so convincingly and brought us back to reality! Another enthusiastic person, willing to bring about a change, in however small a way, joins the Darpana bandwagon...
Thank you.

The performance left the audience, both children as well as parents, spellbound. It was almost as if the curtain was drawn on a huge truth and it was just dropped onto all of our laps. Each piece dared to bare the truth and in a form that truely reveals the pain, the suffering and the viciousness that still exists in India, comfortably nestled with prosperity.

The performance of each artist was so involved it moved a lot of us to tears. The message was delivered very effectively. The proof: the group of young students who surrounded Ms.Mallika after her performance with questions, actions and comments. I could see that ferver in their eyes and in their voices, along with an urge to do something that would make a difference.

India shall shine bright and from the bottom of the pyramid as well.

I watched unsuni today at Valley school (as a parent). I have to admit I took off from work only to be able to watch Mallika perform and she did not disapoint. She was electrifying. She absolutely rocks...so do all the performers.
But I came away with more....a feeling of tremendous guilt. I saw that feeling reflected in many others in the audience. If umsuni is able to convert even a few among us who can move from momentary guilt pangs to actually doing something worthwhile it would be a great achievement.

Many of us do feel that we need to do something but the daily drudge just doesnt allow anything (thats the excuse we like to hide behind). Also and more practically many of us do not find a ready platform or practical inputs to actually do something. And unsuni is addressing that very critical gap.
I would like to be part of this movement.

There is a need for inspiring theatre in the country especially which could involve the sentiments of the youth. I think Unsuni taps the spirit of sensitization through the arts!

Why can't we include HIV/AIDS also in the issues discussed?

Hi, I had seen your play in Ahmedabad. It was great. It really opened my eyes towards many issues that I was aware of, but was ignoring. Looking forward to see you in Bangalore soon - your message needs to spread to each and everyone in India.

We drive past those urchins every day. We have read about those illiterate villagers running from pillar to post for justice. We are not unaware of those scavengers condemned to carry human excreta on their heads. We remain unconcerned. It takes Darpana’s Unsuni (Unheard Voices) to turn us compassionate for them. Unsuni moved and provoked without compromising aesthetics. In the string of episodes, which come alive with the acting, theatre and conviction that have gone into making them, the intermittent choreographed group scenes on lyrics rendered after popular tunes, have the viewers so reflect - almost in the Brechtian manner - upon the condition of those marginalized that delectable though the scenes are they do not clap. They choose to hear the smothered voices. Unsuni, one of Darpana’s best theatre productions, gives a glimpse of the invisible India we need to see.

–S D Desai, Former Drama Critic, The Times of India

The sets comprising of a street lamp, sheets of swaying plastic of hutments, run down walls torn cloth, gunny bags etc, form the backdrop of that part of India, which the upper urban chose to ignore through the tinted glasses of their shades. In that sense, 'Unsuni' becomes the voice of the unheard and also makes visible that which we choose not to see. The brilliant performances of the actors who are also trained dancers, brings to us a range of emotions from high drama to satirical depiction of Hindi bollywood songs reminiscent of the Brechtian alienation technique. The struggle of the marginalised is depicted with a positive energy that makes us carry their spirit to fight and the capacity to succeed. In the end, 'Unsuni' resonates deep within to awaken our individual conscience.
–Anjou Musafir, Director, Mahatma Gandhi International School