Written and directed by Sapan Saran, produced by Tamaasha Theatre.

I have a notebook with a bird and a cup on its cover, in which I handwrite quotes that I come across, and I want them to stay with me. A dialogue from Sapan Saran’s play Ottam finds itself in my ‘bird and cup diary’ of quotes.

“Sociology padhke itna to samajh mein aagaya, ki dushman science nahi, science ka galat istamaal karne wale log hain.”

Ottam’s praise preceded itself, but the reason I was most curious to watch this play was to experience the athletic energy in a theatrical performance. And when I saw my friend Aaryan Tandon, the assistant director of the play, calmly checking in tickets at the Rangshila Theatre’s box office, or Meghana Roy Choudhary’s name on the leaflet against ‘Set Designer’- I was even more pumped up with faith because I knew exactly how visionary these friends of mine are, and so began my experience of Ottam with faith in the makers and adrenaline produced by my absolute favourite part- the percussions.

The story addresses the fluctuating regulations of the hyperandrogenism policy of the IAAF (now World Athletics) through the lens of Akai Amaran, who may be a gifted runner, but the world decides she’s too fast for a woman.

Akai’s extraordinary athletic capabilities can be felt in the audience’s seats through the brilliant use of percussion, which was my favourite part of the play (yes, I know I’ve said that already, but it was my FAVOURITE part of the play). If the characters and story were the source of adrenaline and endorphins for the performers, the percussions were for the audience, keeping me tethered and indulging in cheek biting because INTENSE!

Being entertaining, energetically aligned with the audience, and informative about facts, with case studies and comprehensive arguments, Ottam makes you feel for the character Akai, but also think about the global athletic regulatory bodies. Simply put, how can a natural body be eliminated from a selection committee for being born the way that it was?

What I related to the most, something that touched the softness within me, was the portrayal of Akai’s inner conscience. Played by the lady with a nightingale-like voice, Janhvi Marathe, the use of a simple scarf, made of the same fabrics as Akai’s attire, and with each entry to be noticed at a different part of the body- a subtle but heartfelt hint at what Akai is feeling within, or wants to actually express. I especially looked forward to this attention to detail each time Akai’s conscience took the stage.

All the moments of running and sweating it out were choreographed to the D flawlessly, and hence, I wasn’t surprised when Tandon revealed to me later that Ottam had been in the works for almost 10 years, having taken root in development in 2015.

Ottam: Born to Run is loud and stimulates curiosity regarding the status quo of athletes. And I left the theatre feeling as if I had just watched my bodily experience on a good workout day, coming alive on stage.

You can catch this theatrical brilliance at G5A on March 13, at 7 pm. Tix on the mother of all ticketing platforms, BookMyShow.

All photos have been taken from @studiotamaasha on Instagram, with the team at Tamaasha Theatre’s consent.

Toodles,