Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 5, 2019)

The poster of Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira’s debut directorial play, Medea, is a painting. And what’s special about it is that it has been painted by her bua Farhat Datta, who is a graphic designer. The poster shows a woman in a black outfit holding a dagger, with a red background making the image fiery. Says Farhat, “Ira told me about this really interesting Greek mythological story on which she was directing a play. I was intrigued. She said she wanted me to make a painting that would be used as the face of the play in the poster and all the publicity material. She had a clear idea about what the artwork should portray. All the discussions and idea exchanges helped me to give form to her vision.”

When asked about the concept, Farhat shares that it portrays Medea, whose husband Jason deserts her for another woman. “Medea is filled with anger and humiliation, which is all-consuming. To take revenge, she resorts to murder. So, the visual had to portray emotion of passion, anger and revenge. The fiery red on one side depicts the anger and heightened emotions, while the other darkened side portrays her mental state, which culminates into murder. The figure also had to project a confident personality,” she explains.

Proud of her niece, Aamir’s sister says that Ira is grounded, hard-working and dedicated. “She was an adorable baby and has grown into a lovely young woman. Her enthusiasm, spirit and ‘nothing is impossible’ attitude is infectious. It inspires me. I lived in the US during a large part of her childhood, but she used to come and spend summer vacations there, where we have celebrated so many of her birthdays. Also, we love similar things like art, playing cards with my mom and also the 70’s TV show, Golden Girls. I wish her all the best on this new venture of hers,” she concludes.