E-Paper
A message to kids
Gittu Bittu, a play, talks to children about the difference between good touch and bad touch
A child growing up in today’s world is experiencing an exponentially different world from a child who grew up a couple of decades ago. With the use of the Internet, things have changed and how. Tech-savvy kids are seldom aware of issues that go beyond the realm of social media. Often parents and teachers are faced with a conundrum when broaching the subject of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch. So, how do we make kids learn the difference between the two, at a time when they are going through a transition? To address this subject in a lighter manner, theatre director and actor Rasika Agashe has come up with a play titled Gittu Bittu.
“In the age of technology, where kids are born with mobile phones in their hands, it’s very important to give them access to live performances. The idea of human interaction and touch are easy to convey with the help of such performances. As the play is about speaking up against shame and the idea of shame, I think theatre as a live medium works better,” says Rasika, a graduate of the National School of Drama (NSD), who wants to make children aware about what consent means.
Through Gittu Bittu, Rasika wants to start a dialogue about child sexual abuse, but she admits explaining a complex topic like that to children could be tough. Rasika adds, “Neha Singh, our writer, kept it straightforward and fun. We were sure when we started the process that the subject would be grim for adults. While for kids, it was going to be a first-time experience, so, we wanted to make it interactive and fun. Looking at it from a kids point of view was easy when we started the process.”
More Info
What: Gittu Bittu
Where: Odeum, Andheri (W)
When: March 7, at 7pm.
