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‘Up to 50 million girls are thought to be ‘missing’ over the past century due to female infanticide and foeticide’UN Population Fund

The Husbands originally began as a short story called Frangipani Hill that I wrote some years ago as a response to the growing problems in India arising out of female feticide (aborting females fetuses) and female infanticide (killing girl babies).

The census statistics (2011) show that in some parts of India for every 1000 boys born there are only 300 girls, and things are getting worse. Not surprisingly, the United Nations calls India one of the most dangerous places on earth for a girl.

Polyandry (where a woman has more than one husband) is an ancient practice noted as far back as the Mahabarat. It is still practised today in certain areas, where there are not enough women for men to marry, but unlike in the past, these women are subjugated and treated as servants.

In striking contrast, India has a history of matriarchal societies and Devi (Goddess worship) where Shakti (feminine energy) is believed to be a foundation of life. I found this paradox fascinating. I felt that maybe there was a disconnect between these two things; what would happen if instead of subjugating women, a new system was established that returned to ancient practices of matriarchy? Could reversing the roles make a difference? And so the premise of Shaktipur was born.

During my research I was amazed to find that communities such as the Nair women of Kerala had a centuries old system of matriarchy that also practised polyandry (in some parts). These systems are now extinct but suggest that there is within India a possibility to do things differently

These findings, that India has in itself a rich history that could be the seed to grow something different, was really inspiring. The roles of women, not just in India, are complex: often a blend of many conflicting demands and choices and this is really what Aya faces. I hope that the play says something truthful about the roles of women everywhere.

The relationships between Aya and her husbands are real – they are not abstract ideas – and I really wanted this to come through. These are personal journeys that we all struggle with. So while set in India, the themes of love, power and female sexuality also make The Husbands an allegory for society in the West.

Sharmila Chauhan