Gul Khosa on hosting Behna in her in-law’s home, Saturday 20 March

The day

The production crew started arriving from 10am and we gave them a hand with moving furniture. We got into the spirit of the performance by decorating the lounge with flowers and lights so that it looked like a wedding home. There was also a lot of excitement in the house and this enhanced my experience of the whole day.

During the afternoon, I went to get some cups from the kitchen so that I could prepare for when our guests arrived. The cast were busy rehearsing so I discreetly went into a cupboard. This led to the most surreal experience of the day because in each cupboard there were things I didn’t recognise. There were props which were going to be used in the play.

The performance

There was some giddha and singing in the lounge to warm us up before we started.

Once we took our seats, all 19 of us, it was easy for me to get drawn into the drama unfolding in front of me. Although I had met the cast during the day, they were very good at playing believable characters. I was really able to empathise with the female characters.

The sound effects were excellent. When the pan fell off the cooker, because I’d heard things frying, for a moment I thought that it was a real accident, but then soon realised it was part of the play. I didn’t think it was possible to feel so many emotions in a short space of time. I believe this was enhanced by the intimate nature of the setting.

Afterwards, it was great to speak with everyone. There was a real buzz in the air from the experience. Everyone was scattered around the house eating their channa or chicken curry, whilst Deesho Auntie talked to the online viewers.

The crew helped to put all the furniture back including Bibi’s bed and once the last staff member left the house, it was all back to normal.

I’d love to do it all again.

Gul Khosa