India’s Partition is often considered one of the most significant historical events of South Asia. Cleaving a nation into two upon India’s independence, millions of families faced displacement and separation from each other, with countless deaths from the violence that ensued over the bitter rivalry, with tensions that continue even into the present day. How then does one even begin to grapple with the massive loss and pain suffered by those who experienced it firsthand?

For novelist Khushwant Singh, his 1956 novel Train to Pakistan is often considered one of the most nuanced and humanistic portrayals of Partition, focusing on a pair of star-crossed lovers torn apart by the separation. Previously adapted for both screen and stage, local theatre company HuM Theatre will now be tackling a new production of the epic story for the Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2024, as a co-production with the Esplanade. Adapted by Subin Subaiah and directed by Daisy Irani, both of whom are also starring in the production, we spoke to both artists (also co-founders of HuM Theatre) to find out more about adapting the novel, the rehearsal process, and Indian theatre in Singapore. Read the full interview below:

Bakchormeeboy: Why did HuM Theatre decide to adapt Train to Pakistan? What were your initial reactions when you first read the book?

Daisy and Subin: Very simply because Khushwant Singh’s novel is not only emblematic of an important piece of Indian/Pakistani history but it is also a wonderful story full of intrigue, political machinations, personal courage and romance. We read the book as teenagers and a few times since. It has never failed to move us. To build a story around that turbulent time of massive transmigration and genocidal killings is not easy in itself. Yet at the heart of the novel is a love story, pure and simple. That’s what grabbed us.

Bakchormeeboy: The novel itself is relatively short – how was the adaptation process like to bring it from page to stage, especially when considering the magnitude of Partition? Was there any inspiration taken from previous stage adaptations or the film adaptation? 

Daisy and Subin: Every page of the novel is filled with sentiment. To distill an epic like Train To Pakistan into a one hour forty minute dramatic rendition required us to stay close to the central story line with the script and allow sound , light and multimedia to flesh out the mood and the ambience of the time and place. We deliberately avoided watching the Hindi play and film and relied instead on the text of the book, interviews with surviving families and research of the period. 

Bakchormeeboy: Could we talk about your cast? What was the audition process like, and what was it like working with them? How optimistic do you feel about the place and future of Indian actors and theatremakers in Singapore?

Daisy and Subin: The audition process attracted a number of prospective actors – some working actors and some actors who have to work for a living. Admittedly it is a logistical nightmare juggling their schedules but their commitment, their courage and their sense of humour makes up for it in spades. Optimistic?  Let’s just say it’s hard work to create a robust future for Indian theatre here and leave it at that.

Bakchormeeboy: What would you say was the biggest challenge and/or highlight during the rehearsal process for Train to Pakistan? Was there anything new you felt you learned about yourself, your team or theatre during the process? 

Daisy and Subin: The play is an ensemble piece and we are so thankful to have Sharda Harrison as our movement coach. Getting 12 Indians to move in synchronicity is like herding cats (unless it’s a Bollywood dance number) but Sharda has found and moulded the talent in each one of them. So we now have a cast who feel like a commune. Then, of course, there is no Indian actor who does not intellectualise every line in the script. I found this a huge asset as their opinions came in handy in paring the script down by 90 minutes to make it work. Viva the argumentative Indian!!

Bakchormeeboy: It’s been said that while Train to Pakistan is about a political event, the aim is to focus on the human and social cost of such an event. How political would you say HuM Theatre’s staging is, and how do you focus on taking audiences on a journey? 

Daisy and Subin: The magnitude of the Partition was such that it is impossible to be apolitical about that period of history. What i believe the play establishes is that political forces are constantly at play and any society , however protected or insulated, can come under the influence of such players and find themselves spiralling into self destruction. The audience gets to experience this as Mano Majra, the village where our story is set, finds its harmony threatened and finally torn apart by forces out of their control. 

Bakchormeeboy: What would you say is the current state of Indian theatre in Singapore, especially considering how there are so many dimensions alone to being Indian, from language spoken to traditional versus contemporary theatre? Is there a sense of community and support, as well as from beyond the Indian community?

Daisy and Subin: The Indian diaspora here is so varied in language and  culture that except for Tamil and possibly Hindi, there is no critical mass for Indian language theatre to find its spirit. At a community level, the Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati mandals have been known to  support their own language productions. At the national level though, English is the only language that cuts across the entire community and that’s why we chose to tell Indian stories in English. We have been fortunate to find support within the larger Indian community to fund projects like Train To Pakistan because support from state agencies has been hard to attract. Esplanade remains a bastion of support for the Indian arts through their  many collaborations and festivals like Kalaa Utsavam that give productions like Train To Pakistan room to breathe. 

Whatever our aspirations , the reality is that producing theatre in Singapore is an expensive business and without funding support it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry on. As for support from beyond the Indian community, it’s a chicken and egg situation – it will come only when other communities  are curious to explore our shared stories and they will do so only when they are courted with the right ideas but to do that you need the marketing dollars which circles back to the paucity of funding.  You get the drift?

Bakchormeeboy: How does Train to Pakistan encapsulate HuM Theatre’s mission, and what do you hope audiences consider after watching it? 

Daisy and Subin: HuM Theatre’s mission is very clear. We tell stories that are entertaining and get us to understand each other just a little bit better as Indians and as Singaporeans.  We present Train To Pakistan as an entertaining evening at the theatre. If, after watching, the play prompts the audience to contemplate on it over a meal that would be wonderful.

Photo Credit: HuM Theatre

Train to Pakistan plays from 20th to 24th November 2024 at the Esplanade Theatre Studio. Tickets available here

Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2024 runs from 15th to 24th November 2024. Full programme and lineup available here