Garam Roti

What does it take to speak a fear out loud - and who gets to listen when you do?

That question anchors Garam Roti, a performance led by Durga and her companion Lakshmi, a stereo player with a personality of her own. Together, they attempt a "performance of fears," part rant, part dare, part confession.

Blending theatre and spoken word, Durga asks herself what truly epitomises 'a woman,' eventually circling back to the figure of the freshly made hot roti: soft, essential, constantly produced, constantly consumed. The stage oscillates between humour and ache as she tests this metaphor against her own experiences and the voices of others. The performance slips across borders of fiction and non-fiction, anchored by the Garam Roti Library - an evolving audio collection of women from across India speaking their truths. Their recordings populate the space with accounts of domestic labour, inherited tradition, unspoken exhaustion, and flashes of rebellion. Durga stands beside these voices, not interpreting them, but amplifying them.

Written, Directed and Performed by: Durga Venkatesan

Executive Producer: Sukrit Mahajan

Production: Megha Manglani, Vaidesha Lobiyal

Light Design: Surya Saathi

Sound Design & Edit: pause.dxa, Nikhil Bansal

Sound Dubbing: Rohan Kanwar

Voice of Lakshmi: Durga Venkatesan

Set & Publicity Design: Devika Saxena

Artistic Consultation: Mohammed Ellyas Lehry

The project was developed at Rangamadu in collaboration with Namkampani.

The Garam Roti Library has been developed with recordings of women from across India. The project extends gratitude to the women who contributed their voices to the library. The current recordings have been carried out by Durga Venkatesan, Meghna Manglani, Nikhil Bansal & Saran Vashisht.

The stereo played is a contribution by Anusha Mehra & family.