- Imran Qureshi
- BBC Hindi
5 hours ago
Nilambur Aisha was only 18 years old when a man shot her on stage
In 1953, Nilambur Aisha, was 18 years old when a bullet went off in the air as Ayesha was on stage performing a dialogue in a play.
“Fortunately, that bullet missed me and hit the stage curtains because I was moving while performing the role,” recalls Aisha, who is now 87 years old, sitting at home in Nilampur (which became part of her stage name) in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
This was one of many attempts – by conservative religious people who believed that a Muslim woman should not pursue acting – to force Aisha to quit acting and leave the stage.
But she continued to act, defying sticks, stones and even slaps. “We were able to change people’s attitudes,” says Aisha.
Aisha was sitting in the front row when, last month, a new generation of actors in Kerala presented a re-imagined version of the play she was playing in when she was shot – titled “You’re Trying to Be a Good Man”.
The new version, which begins with an attempt to shoot Aisha, targets religious extremism among Muslims, just like the previous version – except that it includes many incidents of intolerance and new beliefs, particularly those aimed at oppressing women.
One practice highlighted in the play, for example, is an incident a few weeks ago in which a major Muslim leader in Kerala sparked controversy, following he reprimanded event organizers for inviting a student to go on stage in order to honor her and award her an award.
picture released, Getty Images
Sectarian attacks on Indian Muslims have risen sharply in the past few years
Since 2014, when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the country, attacks on Muslims, who make up the country’s largest minority with nearly 200 million people, have risen sharply.
Conversely, the minority community is also undergoing a wave of politicization as moderate voices find it more difficult to counter what is sometimes seen as an affirmation of conservative practices in the name of defending religious identity.
Aisha says she worries that the conservatism that she and her fellow artists — mostly communists — fought once morest in the 1950s and 1960s is deepening in India, including Kerala, which has long been considered one of India’s most progressive states.
She goes on to say: “We tried to change these attitudes earlier. But now, when there’s objection to a little girl getting on stage, it feels like we’re going back to those horrible days.”
The story begins with the gramophone
Aisha was born into a wealthy family, but she went through hard times following her father’s death. She says they received little help from community leaders when they were struggling to make a living.
Life was hard, but she was happy to be at home. She briefly left a few years ago – when she was just 14, she married a 47-year-old, but decided to end that marriage following just four days. She later realized that she was pregnant but proceeded with divorce proceedings.
One day Aisha was singing to a gramophone accompaniment – “the only remaining luxury in the family home” – when her brother and friend, playwright E.K. Ayamo, walked in.
At the time, a communist-backed progressive theater troupe was gaining popularity in the state, through dramas, fiery political songs, and other art forms. That troupe has inspired many smaller groups to try writing and stage plays.
But most roles – including female ones – were performed by men.
picture released, Nilambur Ayisha
Aisha has played many roles in many plays and films
When EMS Nambudiribad, who in 1957 became the first communist to lead a provincial government in India when his government came to power in Kerala, watched one of these plays, he suggested to Ayamu that he find women to perform the written roles of female characters.
When he heard Ayamu Aisha sing, he asked if she would play a beautiful character, a housewife who had a pivotal role in the theatrical work.
Aisha was ready for the role, but her mother worried that religious leaders would ostracize them.
“I told her that they never came to our rescue when we were in trouble. How are they punishing us now?” says Aisha.
The play was a great success, but it also upset many.
“There have been many attacks on us,” says Viti Gopalakrishnan, who played Aisha’s son in the play. “Muslim conservatives saw it as blasphemy for a woman belonging to them to appear on stage.”
People threw stones at Aisha while she was performing; Her colleagues were attacked when they tried to protect her.
Once, a man jumped on the platform and slapped Aisha so hard that it damaged her eardrum – leaving her permanently hearing impaired, and the man who shot her was never arrested.
Did these attacks scare her?
“Not at all,” says Aisha. “On the contrary, it made me stronger.”
“It was a human drama regarding bringing out the good in people and loving others, regardless of their background. This is exactly why our band has been targeted so many times,” she says.
picture released, CV Lenin
Aisha’s bravery in the face of all these adversities and attacks has given her an undeniable place in Kerala’s history, says veteran journalist Johnny Oak.
“She was part of the social reform movement that made a difference through art and culture,” says Oak.
Aisha continued to act in many plays and films, but following a while the performances started to fade.
She then went to Saudi Arabia to work as a housekeeper. “I worked there for so long I can’t remember when it ended,” she says.
When she returned to Kerala, she began acting once more in Malayalam-language films, winning awards for some of her performances. She was also invited to speak at workshops and programs where many cite her as an inspiration.
Aisha said she has no regrets when she looks back.
“I resisted everything, including physical assaults. Today at the age of 87, I can stand proudly in front of the whole world.”