"I started on the journey alone, but people joined in and soon it was a movement. I see a therapeautic effect on many women who are acting and dancing for the first time in their lives. Most of these are professionals in different fields; and coming together, communicating with a diverse group and working together for a social cause has been a very enriching and rewarding experience already.
Sonali Kothari. Director of 99 women Pune 2016
The journey of 99 women in India
When Sonali Kothari, founder of Innishari, and Director, 99 women took up this highly ambitious project, little did she know that the concept would attract so many women who immediately volunteered to be a part of the experience–as volunteer actors and creative leads. Over 100 women from different parts of the city of Pune have joined hands in this journey that has proved to be empowering and magical for each one of them, creating a positive impact that will last for a very long time.
Impacts
"Dance is the way to find yourself and lose yourself at the same time. 99 Women has given this opprtunity to the participants to revisit this magical experience.
Shaberi Ray, Choreographer
"Being a part of 99 Women has been an exhilerating journey. Never did I imagine that working with so many lovely women, helping to harness their immense potential and taking the project to its fruition could be so fulfilling.
Tulika Pherwani, Chief Actor Coordinator
"Theatre as a form of expression can be a very liberating experience for the actor. It provides an opportunity to explore relatively unknown facets of life. It pushes you to the deeper realms of your own being, shattering all notions of limited abilities. It evolves you as a human being. It brings about transformation.
99 women Pune has chosen to donate the benefits from the play to a charity program ‘Swawlamban’ devoted to women in Pune. The project ‘Swawlamban’ (English – Self Reliant), was started by Chaitanya Mahila Mandal of Pune, in Moshi, where skills in industrial production like PVC moulding, and industrial stitching are being imparted to the beneficiaries. Apart from these, the women are also trained in fashion designing, to make sanitary napkins and to train as beauticians to help them become financially independent.
Participants
Creative crew:
Project Director, India: Sonali Kothari
Choreography: Shaberi Ray
Art Director: Neeti Pherwani
Chief Coordinator: Tulika Pherwani
Production Manager: Vartika Gupta
Photography: Sharva Mangaonkar
99 Women Logo & Posters: Nayana V., Aishwarya Chandramouleshwar, Pranjal Gokhale, Janhavi Welinkar (photography) with Mentor Ranjana Dani (MITID, Pune)
Social Media: Vartika Gupta
Technical Assistance: Sushrut Joshi (Lights), Mahesh Gaikwad (Sound), Sampada Deshpande (Volunteer)
Credits for Hindi Poems in Act #1- Enfance and Act # 3-Dissonance Namita Kichlu
Event Management: Kiran Marre, Vartika Gupta
Actor Coordinators: Namita Kichlu, Nidhi Shand, Smita Kelkar, Kumud Johry, Shubhra Chowdhury, Sonali Dohotre, Aparna Desai, Sneha Sahajwani, Gauri Khandekar, Meghana Desai, Amruta Tilve, Kiran Bajaj, Prabha Venkat
Actors: Aishwarya Kothare, Alifiya Pardawala, Amruta Patwardhan, Amruta Tilve, Anuja Deshmukh, Anupama Bhootra, Anshuta Jadhav, Anjali Borah, Aparna Desai, Aparna Gondhalekar, Archana Rani, Ashwini Shetty, Bhavana Pandya, Deepali Modi, Dina Shah, Gauri Khandekar, Gauri Dixit, Gauri Tavre, Gayathri Srinivasan, Himanie Swamy, Jui Chitale, Kalpana Dua, Kiran Bajaj, Kirty Datar, Kumud Johry, Leena Mehta, Leena Mulchandani, Madhuri Khanzode, Madhuri Rashankar, Manisha Vijapuri, Maria Verma, Mayuri Nikumbh, Meghana Desai, Mudra Shirvaikar, Namita Kichlu, Nayana Thigale, Neelam Dhalwani, Neeti Pherwani, Neetu Sabharwal, Neeta Torgatti, Nidhi Shand, Nilima Muthiyan, Nimisha Thakur, Pallavi Jigali, Pooja Narke, Poonam Shete, Prabha Venkat, Pragya Gupta, Prajakta Kulkarni, Prerna Lele, Prerna Moralwar, Priti Gondhalekar, Rakhy Menon, Rama Chobhe, Rashida Shabbir, Razia Chopdar, Rekha Chaturvedi, Ritika Jadhav, Rupali Deshpande, Saili Titre, Savita Narayan, Shaili Nataraj, Shubhangi Bodhankar, Shubhra Chowdhary, Smita Kelkar, Sneha Sahajwani, Sonali Dahotre, Surabhi Ratavjia, Swarna Dev, Swati Chitale, Swati Patil, Swati Patil, Tapasya Gurujane, Vartika Gupta, Vasantapriya Mohankumar, Vayshhali Varnekar, Vibha Anoop, Vibha Deshpande, Vidya Vijay, Vijayshree Wankhade.
Dancers: Alifiya Pardawala, Anshuta Jadhav, Himanie Swamy, Jui Chitale, Kalpana Dua, Madhuri Khanzode, Maya Menkudale, Meenal Vaze, Nayana Thigale, Neeti Pherwani, Nidhi Shand, Pragya Gupta, Ritika Jadhav, Savita Hulyalkar, Sumana Nandi, Surabhi Ratavjia, Swarna Dev, Vartika Gupta
Pictures from the show (Pune July 2016)
Photography project by Sharva Mangaonkar
