After turning down an offer to act, Sarika on producing Aamir Khan's daughter Ira Khan's directorial debut, the Greek tragedy play, Medea
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 2, 2019)

Only days after celebrating kick-starting her career as director of a music video, Ira Khan has graduated to tackling bigger projects. On her plate is the Greek tragedy play, Medea, which the daughter of Aamir Khan is set to helm in an English adaptation. Interestingly, backing her endeavour is Sarika, who spent the past three years since her act in Baar Baar Dekho (2016) quietly setting up a production house.

Sarika tells mid-day that the offer to be part of Ira's venture came to her under different circumstances. "Ira called me and said she wanted me to act in her play. I didn't want to. So, instead, I offered to produce it. She is like my own baby, and if she wanted me to be part of this, I definitely would be. Also, I liked her approach and vision. I was confident about her directorial sensibilities," says Sarika.

The mythology was first performed in 431 BC, reportedly at the City Dionysia festival. "It is interesting to see how a woman belonging to this era perceives the complexities of a women from 431 BC," says Sarika of her decision to produce the project.

Theatre production, she reveals, is an art she began to dabble in over the past three years. Medea will come out of her newly launched production house, Nautankisa, created along with younger daughter Akshara, and friend Sachin Kamani. When Medea came her way, Sarika was already afloat with a Hindi play, she tells us. "Theatre and films may appear similar, but in the case of the former, artistes interact with the audience directly. Both mediums pose different challenges. Just like cinema, theatre too has the power to transport one to another world. That's the magic of actors and creators," she discusses of her new-found love.

Unafraid to swim against the tide, she doesn't mind exploring theatre at a time when artistes are cashing in on the digital boom. "The idea is to produce art in every form. Creators now have so many platforms to share content."

Medea, The Play
Written by tragedian Euripides, Medea revolves around a princess of the barbarian kingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason. Finding her position threatened after Jason leaves her for a Greek princess, she plots her revenge.