Gauhar (Drama, Musical)
Critic’s rating: 3.5 stars
Cast: Girija Oak, Neena Kulkarni, Rajeev Siddhartha, Danny Sura, Gillian Pinto, Varun Narayan and Aakanksha Kadre
Director: Lillete Dubey
Duration: 2 hours
Language: English, Hindi
There is a moment in Gauhar when the glitter around Gauhar Jaan seems to fall away, and what remains is simply a woman who has lived too much, too soon. That, for me, is where Lillete Dubey’s play becomes most affecting.Based on Mahesh Dattani’s adaptation of Vikram Sampath’s My Name is Gauhar Jaan!, the play follows Gauhar from the trauma of her childhood in Azamgarh to Banaras, where she finds love, and eventually to Calcutta, where she becomes one of the most celebrated musicians of her time. It is quite a life to fit into two hours.The play does slow down at times, and if you miss the dates and place names projected in the background, the narrative can get a little difficult to follow, especially so for those unfamiliar with Gauhar Jaan’s story.Girija Oak carries much of it, and she is phenomenal. What makes her performance work is that she doesn’t play Gauhar as some larger-than-life historical figure all the time. There is the swagger, certainly. The confidence. The extravagant woman who knew she was a star. But Girija also allows us to see the hurt underneath it with the younger Gauhar’s experiences, the rape and loss of her child at 13, and the relationships that didn’t survive.Live classical music is woven naturally into the narrative, with Girija moving between Hindustani, Bengali, Marathi and English. It never feels like a musical interlude inserted to remind us that Gauhar was a singer, but showcases that the music is part of who she is.Neena Kulkarni is equally impressive, playing Gauhar’s mother and later an older Gauhar. There is tremendous restraint in her portrayal. Gillian Pinto, as Atthanni, brings some welcome warmth and energy, while Rajeev Siddhartha, Danny Sura, Varun Narayan and Aakanksha Kadre add to the period world.Lillete’s direction keeps the production visually rich, with costumes and music evoking the period. What lingers, though, is Gauhar, the first Indian voice to be recorded on the gramophone in 1902. While she became a sensation and lived a life of extraordinary highs and lows, fame could not protect her from loneliness or loss. And perhaps that is what makes her story worth telling even today: behind the celebrated voice was a woman who wanted to be heard, loved and remembered.
Should you watch it?
Yes, especially if you enjoy music-led theatre and stories of extraordinary women. Worth a watchWatch the play on Ocotber 11, 2026 at The Royal Opera House
