‘This is my name’ : Godse’s claims of being a patriot

A new play that explores one horrific moment in the past to raise unsettling questions about the future

There is something deeply troubling about Chennai-based playwright Prasanna Ramaswamy’s new play This is my name. Long after it is over, it leaves you with a sense of disquiet and lingering insecurity. The 90-minute theatre performance featuring a large ensemble cast was recently staged in Chennai to somewhat muted response, thanks to COVID-19. The play is ostensibly an exploration of the past — Nathuram Godse’s defence of his assassination of Gandhi. Yet, in doing so, the play essentially raises uncomfortable, deeply unsettling questions about the future.