Prof. Dr. Avinash Kolhe: Vikram Phukan's Some Mothers, Other Mothers explores queer motherhood, chosen families and human rights through layered storytelling, moving beyond stereotypes with emotional restraint, historical depth and compelling performances that redefine maternal love in contemporary Indian theatre.

Though by now the queer community is out of the closet, they are yet to present different sides of their lives and stories. All these years, it was trapped in sexuality. Here I recall plays like Are There Tigers in Congo? staged in Mumbai in the early 1990s. In Marathi, we had 1, Madhav Baug, staged during the same time. Now comes Vikram Phukan's Some Mothers, Other Mothers, written and directed by him. The play had its premiere on June 16 at AntiSocial, Lower Parel. It was part of the Play Dates series curated by Akavarious Productions.

Play Dates is a new initiative by Akavarious Productions and AntiSocial, Lower Parel. Launching in 2026, the series brings regular theatre programming to the venue, creating a space where audiences can make theatre a part of their weekly and monthly routine. Play Dates aims to showcase a diverse range of contemporary work while building a consistent theatre-going community. Some Mothers, Other Mothers was presented by Theatre Jil Jil Ramamani.
First, one must note the uniqueness of the play.

Beyond Conventional Motherhood

Fortunately, it moves beyond the archetypal mother who sacrifices a lot for her queer children. Here, the story moves between contemporary, historical and fictional narratives. In Phukan's play, the focus is on new-age mothers: adoptive mothers, chosen families and, yes, queer rights. Quite a mature theme, indeed. This play offers stories sans emotional overdose. Here, mothers are down-to-earth, no-nonsense women who know how to take care of queer children and how to tackle society.

Vikram Phukan has already earned a name for himself through his plays like Postcards from Goa and Postcards from Colaba. Now he brings this unique and, yes, riveting play. The play is a collage of perspectives. There is a young man raised by two mothers [like Lord Krishna in Indian mythology]; then there is an interesting story of a new mother discovered through a ritual. The treatment takes the play beyond a conventional anthology. Not only this, but some stories in the play are also well grounded. The theme touches upon the legacy of Lucy D'Souza of Goa.

Lucy took the Government of Goa to court. Her son, Dominic D'Souza, was diagnosed with HIV after a routine blood donation. He was handcuffed by the police, denied a hearing and forcibly quarantined for 64 days under armed guard. The case became famous as Lucy D'Souza vs State of Goa and was decided in 1989.

Human Rights at the Centre

Lucy challenged the constitutional validity of isolating HIV-positive individuals under the Goa Public Health Act. Though she lost the case, it became an important moment in the history of Indian public health and human rights. Then there are Firdaus Kanga and Bobby Padamsee, seen through the perspective of a family. By foregrounding such stories, Phukan has forced us to think differently and positively.
The cast includes Gaurika Bhatt, Manav Chaudhary, Padma Damodaran, Rushab Kamdar and Shreya Shandilya.

What I found interesting about the play is that it does not become sentimental and always remains grounded. We meet gritty mothers, badly needed to support queer children in these difficult times.