THE WITCHING HOUR

Shikaar preys on our notions of the hunter and the hunted

- SNEHA BHURA

What are witches supposed to look like? It is a question five women in a remote Chudail Gharana (coven) want to know when a government official comes calling with the intention of purging their neighbourhood of witches. The upright official carries a manual from his office, which has enumerated their many recognizable features. He also knows a witchcraft de-addiction centre of sorts. The women roll their eyes. They cringe, bicker, bark, hiss, fight and cackle as they go into a huddle to get rid of this pesky, persistent official. In one uproarious scene after another, Shikaar unfolds like an allegorical tale on themes we already know and experience-the machinations of the moral brigade, the culture of insinuation, gender and power play, the fear of assertive women. But it does so without missing a beat of exuberance and rollicking fun that Shikaar's makers-Sheena Khalid and Puja Sarup of The Patchworks Ensemble-are known to inject in their productions.