Theatre festival in Chennai hosts ‘Dekh Behen’ among other plays from Mumbai

A curation of three plays spanning the humour and contemplative genres by Mumbai’s AKvarious Productions comes to Chennai this weekend

An unapologetic tale of sisterhood; a courtroom drama with a classic clash of conscience; and mental health broken down for the little ones through an improvisational drama — this weekend, over two days, Chennai plays host to three interesting narrative plays from Mumbai’s AKvarious Productions that offer humour, contemplation and questions, all in the right measure. 

Says Akarsh Khurana, “For the last six months, we have been aggressively travelling to other cities with our plays.” 

The Verdict, while it is a serious play, is quite a crowd pleaser, says Akarsh. “It tells the story of an underdog lawyer and is an enjoyable ‘serious’ play.” It is inspired by the stage adaptation of Barry Reed’s novel of the same name. What Planet Are You On? is AKvarious’ ninth children’s play, a well-travelled story that cuts across ages. It is about a young boy who has trouble concentrating in class, and is eventually diagnosed with ADHD, and finds a way to cope with the help of his supportive mother, friends and music. “In India, unfortunately, anything that has to do with mental health is still coming out of the taboo phase. Therefore, it is very important that we normalise it,” says Akarsh. The play has been well-received by adults who come up to the cast and crew to often say that they have also experienced ADHD without ever realising it. This awareness in itself is encouraging, continues Akarsh.  

“ Dekh Behen is a play that is set in Delhi. The city is almost a character in this play,” says Akarsh. The one-act, all-women play is set against the backdrop of a Punjabi wedding. Five bridesmaids, including the bride’s younger sister, run away from the chaos of the wedding to find themselves chatting away, and into the psyche of each other. It’s set in a single room and is as real as it gets. The play wrapped its 100th show earlier this week. 

Chennai is a relatively new turf for this particular curation. The post-pandemic audience is experimental, agrees Akarsh. “There is a renewed vigour, firstly among existing audiences and there are new audiences curious about what the hullabaloo is about,” he says. 

“I am hoping that it’s the beginning of something nice,” Akarsh concludes. 

The Verdict will be played on February 11 at 7 pm. What Planet Are You On? and Dekh Behen will be performed on February 12 at 10.30 am and 7 pm respectively at Sir Mutha Subbarao Auditorium, Chennai. Tickets at 5oh9.com.