The Troth | ‘Groundbreaking project’ features in Asian Culture Vulture

Akademi’s artistic director, Mira Kaushik, and Gary Clarke, director and choreographer of The Troth – Usne Kaha Tha speak to Asian Culture Vulture ahead of the world premiere at Jaipur Literature Festival.

“After I saw Coal I knew this is the choreographer I wanted to work with. Gary Clarke will make it happen… He has got the ability to translate a story board into movement.”

Mira Kaushik

“I want to tell things from the heart and stories with feelings and emotions and this story is emotionally fuelled. I think Mira saw that in Coal and believed I could breathe life into The Troth.”

Gary Clarke

The Troth – Usne Kaha Tha

Akademi’s The Troth – Usne Kaha Tha is a gripping wartime story of love and loss, told through powerful dance theatre. Inspired by a 1915 short story Usne Kaha Tha by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri, it tells the story of Sardar Lehna Singh’s sacrifice of keeping his secret promise to an unrequited love while mid-conflict in the horror of the trenches of Belgium. Directed by Gary Clarke, the show features a specially-commissioned music score by Shri Sriram, and a cast including Vidya Patel (BBC Young Dancer 2015 finalist).

The Troth is funded by Arts Council England; Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Armed Forces Covenant Fund; Cockayne Grants for the Arts through the London Community Foundation; PRS for Music Foundation; ICCR; and Air India. Partners include UK-India Year of Culture; British Council; The Space; Imperial War Museum; National Army Museum; The Nehru Centre, London; Watermans Arts Centre; and Teamwork Arts.