How ‘Biryani Durbar’ explores the politics of food

Biryani Durbar, recently staged in Bengaluru shows how roles reverse when opportunity presents itself

“Knock on a stranger’s door and ask for food. What you receive depends on who you are and who opens the door. If you knock on the door of a trans person’s home, however, you will never be turned away because they have faced hunger pangs and the humiliation of rejection all their lives,” says Srijith Sundaram, an activist for the LGBT community in Chennai.

His play Biryani Durbar, recently staged in Bengaluru, depicts the life of trans people with all its harsh realities. The protagonist Nooramma is portrayed by activist A Revathi. Srijith, who has been working with the community for the past 15 years believes, ‘Art is a weapon’ to battle ignorance, prejudice and hate.

The idea for this play had been germinating with Srijith over the past few years. “During the second wave, I helped with the running of the Trans Community Kitchen in Chennai and saw a transformation in how the community was perceived — from being the ones who begged for food to becoming providers.”