Koël Purie on Staging a Play on Motherhood: ‘I Want People to be Aware of a Mother’s Journey’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Koël Purie is putting the realities of motherhood under the spotlight with her latest stage production "Mummy’s Dead, Long Live Mummy!," revealing that the idea stemmed from her own experiences as a mother. The actor-writer and former TV presenter, known for films like “Rock On!!," "The Zoya Factor” and more, says the play captures every shade of motherhood - from its funniest moments to its most difficult ones - while encouraging audiences to look beyond the idealized image of mothers. The play is also going to be featured at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the end of August.

The Meaning Behind the Title

Of the story behind the title, Purie recalls an oft-repeated phrase, observing, "In a typical North Indian household, the mother is caught quite often saying, 'Mar gayi teri maa' (Your mother is dead). Some of it comes from there, because my mother often told me the same. I would wonder how my mother would say something like that, till I had my own child. Now I want to repeat it 100 times a day. But even if you are dead, you still have to continue to be a mother."

She adds that the title also draws inspiration from monarchy. "It is also how they say, 'The queen is dead, long live the queen.' The title never dies and the job never dies as well. It is relentless. You can be done with it, but it is not done with you.”

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How a Personal Story Became Fiction

Koel Purie reveals that she initially wanted to write a personal account of motherhood, but the story evolved during the writing process. She shares, "I thought I would write about how every mother feels. I wanted to share my experience, but I got busy with other things. When it came down to finally writing this, as I put pen to paper, the character started talking to God. And it was no longer  non-fiction.”

The actor explains that the story itself dictated that it belonged on stage instead of the big screen. She further states, "I immediately wondered if it needed to be on stage. I did not want it to be a movie. It was the subject determining the medium. My main motive was to show motherhood in all its shades, primarily how funny it is. You pass through many phases in motherhood. In retrospect, you think how funny the phases were."

While comedy remains at the heart of the play, Purie emphasizes that it also explores the emotional and challenging aspects of raising children. She mentions, "There are four mothers in the play, named Mother 1, Mother 2, Mother 3 and Mother 4. I am the mother of Jamal. The play deals with very serious issues, but in great comedy because motherhood is funny. It also talks about the joys of motherhood, because why do we do it over and over again otherwise?"

Starting Conversations Around Maternal Mental Health

Purie hopes the production sparks conversations that extend beyond the theatre, particularly around maternal mental health. "I want it to become a conversation way beyond the stage. There are real-life cases where mothers have it very tough while dealing with postpartum and what not. I want people to be aware of a mother's journey,” she reveals.

The Edinburgh Fringe Challenge

But making an independent play also comes with its challenges. Also, getting it selected in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is only the first hurdle. “You have to find the money to get there because getting in is the easy part. Once you're accepted, the real challenge begins,” she adds.

As an independent theatre company, she says, the biggest challenge is making the production financially viable. Purie explains, "There is a question of logistics. Yes, we have supporters, but we still have to figure out how to stay there for a week, perform for a week and most importantly, get bums on seats. This year, we're competing with 4,179 shows. That's how many productions are at the Fringe. It's complete madness, but that's part of the game. If you're not a little bit mad, don't do it."