Why I’m Producing MAYA:
Growing up, I was surrounded by music. I would wake up on Sunday mornings to whatever my parents were in the mood for that day (qawalis, R&B, classic rock were amongst their faves) bursting out of our boombox while they cleaned the house. I’d spend Sundays and Fridays learning Gurmat Sangeet, Sikh sacred music, at the Gurdwara and in my free time I’d jam with friends in the basement and dream about the future of our “band”. When I discovered musical artists that spoke to me, I became easily obsessed. Music enveloped me in every way such that it became a tool for me to make sense of my emotions. I found that there was a song I could attribute to every feeling I needed to process, and suddenly it became clear that music was a way to communicate.
I wish I could have bottled up and preserved the way I felt when I first heard Cheeyang & Eric’s song “Outside/Inside” from their musical MAYA. To distill it into words is hard, but I think “epic” is probably the closest way to describe it. The seamless blend of eastern & western music, the deep, percussive rhythm emblematic of the march of time as the main character stands teetering at the edge of the right side of history, wondering if she should take the leap – I felt like the song was talking directly to me, forcing me to reckon with the same questions Maya Mehta asks herself.
The music of MAYA was what initially pulled my attention, but the story is also undeniably relatable on a human level. Maya Mehta, an aspiring poet, returns from her beloved England to her home in Gujarat, where she is confronted with the realities of the freedom movement taking shape. She is challenged to risk the life she has known – a life of prestige, comfort, and the support of her family – to join the fight for freedom, and find her place within it. I often find myself feeling rather helpless when I look around at the bleak state of the world around me. I want to do my part in fighting for change and peace but it is easy to get lost in the noise of harmful propaganda and feel held back by the systemic oppression that tries to convince me I am powerless. I gravitate to the story of MAYA because it reminds me that the great leaders of our time, who walked the path of justice to carve a place for people like me in this world, were also once ordinary people who chose to take great risks. MAYA is a story for anyone who feels that pull toward achieving a greater purpose in life and leaving a legacy of hope behind. I am so proud to be one of the producers of this work and can’t wait for it to speak to you the way it spoke to me.
Read below to learn more about the journey of MAYA and our path to premiering in London!
