‘It is his word against hers’. Can the nuanced perspectives that jurisprudence demands ever uncover the trauma of sexual assault? Durgapur Bhimroti’s Protiproshno tries to explore the emotional churning of and the social stigma associated with sexual violence through the interrogation of a suspect. Arkaneel Som (Buddhadeb Das) is the accused sitting in the interrogation room with his lawyer, Jayita Mitra (Nayana), as the action begins in medias res, and the police team led by the inspectors, Suparna Dutta (Madhurima Goswami) and Arindam Mukherjee (Keshob Bhattacharya), listens to him narrate his version of events which led to his subordinate at a multinational company accuse him of rape. Adapted as it is from a police procedural — Criminal: UK created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith — Protiproshno’s action is taut and without unnecessary fillers. Technology is used effectively, with screenshots of WhatsApp messages and pictures of bruises on the abused woman’s face — the character is not part of the onstage action — building a solid case against the cocky corporate boss with anger management issues. The denouement, though slightly unexpected, delivers a compelling reprimand of society’s penchant for moral judgement.
Where the play somewhat falters is in the presentation of its plot. Both the scriptwriter, Dipankar Sen — he is also the director — and the actors are to blame for it. Liberal doses of hackneyed aphorisms about how ‘life is not fair’ and ‘who better than women to understand it’ leave a bad taste in the mouth.
The acting is disappointing: Das overacts as the stereotypical chauvinist concerned with his public image, Bhattacharya sleepwalks through his role, while the two junior police officials, Abheepsha Ghosh as Ayantika Dey and Sashreek Ganguli as Vikas Saxena, look as if they’ve been lifted straight from of a CID episode. Goswami stands out with a powerful performance, her professionalism as a police officer balanced quite well with her sympathy for a woman victim. Ultimately, it is this figure that Protiproshno rightly highlights — the victim, not a complainant; someone who deserves to be heard, not questioned.
