Rita Bhatia Sets ‘A Doll’s House’ In Silicon Valley
India-West News Desk
SUNNYVALE, CA- Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 classic ‘A Doll’s House’ is being reinterpreted for the Sunnyvale Theatre, shifting the story from its original Victorian setting to the contemporary world of the South Asian diaspora in Silicon Valley.
Director Rita Bhatia said the adaptation explores themes of identity, reputation, and social pressure within immigrant communities navigating the balance between assimilation and cultural preservation.
“The diaspora setting isn’t a gimmick. It’s the whole point,” Bhatia noted. “Immigrant communities carry a particular kind of double burden; the need to assimilate and the need to preserve.”
The production centers on Naina, a woman struggling to maintain an image of success while meeting the expectations placed upon her by family and society. Bhatia said the pressures may appear different today, but the underlying anxieties remain familiar.
“In the wealthy enclaves of Silicon Valley, the gilded cage looks different now,” Bhatia said. “The pressure isn’t delivered through corsets and calling cards anymore. It arrives through group chats, school fundraisers, and the quiet, crushing expectation to make everything look effortless.”
Bhatia added that the story reflects challenges faced by many in diaspora communities, where the desire to fit into a new society often exists alongside the responsibility of preserving cultural roots. “Women, especially, navigate this tightrope daily,” she noted.
To portray Naina’s internal struggles, the production incorporates movement and music. Bhatia collaborated with dance director Sanjib Bhattacharya and composer Pranav Jhumkhawala, while featured dancer Prajvi Malhotra performs sequences intended to represent the character’s emotional journey.
“There are moments in this production where words simply aren’t enough. Where the body takes over,” Bhatia said.
The adaptation also offers a different perspective on Tarun, Naina’s husband. Rather than presenting him as a villain, Bhatia described him as a man shaped by expectations surrounding honor, status, and responsibility.
“He loves Naina, in the only way he’s been taught to,” Bhatia said. “That’s what makes it complicated. That’s what makes it true.”
“We’ve all built beautiful rooms,” Bhatia concluded. “We’ve all, at some point, performed contentment we didn’t feel. I made this production for everyone who has ever done that.”
