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| OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATIONS |
ABOUT THE CHARACTERS |
Chand: Educated, vibrant and very pretty, Chand is a bride-to-be who embarks on a
journey that is both physical and internal. Leaving the warmth and familiarity of her
Punjabi home she lands in Canada in the middle of winter to marry a stranger in a strange
land. At first she is optimistic and obliging to her new family but that soon changes.
Alienated, alone and without the comfort of her mother, Chand finds friendship in a co-worker
named Rosa who works beside her on an assembly line in a factory. She seeks
solace from the abuse she is suffering by slipping into a fantasy world where her husband
Rocky is gentle and compassionate. When the line between fantasy and reality starts to
blur, Chand must come to terms with who she really is and make a choice between a life
of freedom or fear..6
Rocky: Bound by the obligations of family, trapped by the narrow definition of being a
man in traditional Punjabi culture, Rocky is the hope and pride of his family. He drives
an airport limousine and is the principal earner in the family. The pressure this puts on
him is immense. Life with his clan and all their expectations is claustrophobic. His
possessive and over bearing mother wants him to sponsor his brother to Canada, and this
on his driver’s salary. When Chand enters the picture, it is a pressure that puts him over
the edge. Unable to articulate his frustration and helplessness, he takes his rage out on
Chand. His violence toward her is terrifying and it culminates in one moment of
undeniable self-reckoning.
Maji: The domineering matriarch, Maji’s demands on her son create an atmosphere that
is suffocating and oppressive. Maji dotes on Rocky but it is clear that part of her is afraid
he will be overcome by Chand’s charm and forget his duty to his parents. Unable to let
Rocky go and unaware of the pressure he is under, Maji’s expectations become
overwhelming.
Papaji: Sweet but ultimately ineffectual, Papaji tries to be the healing balm that soothes
his troubled family. But he is no match for the power of his wife. The loss of his
dentures becomes the defining tragedy of his life. In spite of his physical decay, Papaji
retains his honour and his dignity. He is the only one who can express his compassion
for Chand. He quotes, "better to live in hell than a heaven without dignity".
Aman: Rocky’s sister, is married to Baldev who is unemployed. His laziness creates
much tension in the family but Aman loves him and is loyal to him. "Didn’t he sponsor
all of you?" She yells one night at the dinner table. Aman works with Chand at the
factory and doesn’t cringe when her brother beats her. "Don’t mind Rocky," she says,
"he’s a nice boy he just has a quick temper." She wears her resignation like a badge of
honour and expects Chand to do the same.
Baldev: Apart from having sex and eating tandoori chicken, Baldev does very little.
Though he loves his wife and family he has resigned himself to not finding a job. His
unemployment is having a devastating impact on his sense of self worth. At the dinner
table he says under his breath for all the family to hear that "a man who is dependent on
his in-laws is worse than a dog."
Kabir: Kabir is thirteen years old and clearly angry. He sleeps in a cot in the living room
with his grandparents while his sister shares a bedroom with their parents. His uncle
Rocky’s treatment of Chand is difficult for Kabir to bear but there is nothing he can do to
stop it. Instead he reacts, expressing his frustration through action, not unlike his uncle
Rocky. Kabir flushes Papaji’s dentures down the toilet and one night when the family is
arguing at the dinner table he throws down a snakeskin from the Cobra who supposedly
lives in the backyard. When he learns that his uncle Gurpreet is coming from India he is
furious to know that one more body will be occupying an already overcrowded space and
that he will also have to sleep with his parents..7
Loveleen: 10 years old, soft spoken and gentle, Loveleen has a special bond with Chand.
Though she loves her uncle Rocky, she is afraid of him and at times tries in vain to pacify
him. Confused and frightened by the violence, Loveleen looks for comfort in the arms of
her mother.
Rosa: Street wise, Rosa is a woman from Jamaica. She too was abused and knows what
Chand is struggling with. When Rocky repeatedly ignores Chand’s pleas to phone her
mother, Rosa teaches her how to make a long distance call. Aman is suspicious of their
growing relationship and tries to interfere. Rosa, knowing that Chand will never reveal
her plight to the police, offers her another alternative-a magical root from Jamaica that
will ignite the love of the one who takes it. Having used it herself she advises Chand to
"put it in whatever the bastard drinks." |
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