Leimarembi Ahilyabai (Ahilyabai: The Benevolent Queen) dramatizes the life of Ahilyabai Holkar, the compassionate and visionary ruler of the Malwa kingdom. The play traces her transformation from a grieving widow, once resolved to commit sati after her husband Khanderao’s death, into a just and devoted sovereign after being guided by her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar. When her son Male Rao ascends the throne, the true burden of rule falls upon Ahilyabai. With wisdom and moral conviction, she brings stability to Malwa, even reforming dacoits into peaceful citizens. Yet the drama also reveals her inner suffering as a mother. Male Rao neglects governance, descends into intoxication and cruelty, and commits a shocking crime. Ahilyabai, torn between justice and maternal love, upholds the law, leading to his imprisonment and eventual death which acts as her deepest personal wound. She also faces political betrayal from her minister, Gangoba Tatya, responds with courage by forming a regiment of women soldiers that halts rebellion. Beyond politics, she nurtures faith, culture, and communal harmony through temple building and spiritual patronage. Though triumphant in leadership, Ahilyabai cannot escape her personal sorrow, and her passing is portrayed as a final return to peace. The play celebrates her enduring legacy of benevolence, justice, and resilience.
Director
Dr. S. Thaninleima is an alumna of the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, 1998-2001 having specialization in Design and Direction. She is a Ph.D. on Contemporary Manipuri Theatre. She is a recipient of Junior Fellowship from the Ministry of culture, Govt. of India, and an academic fellowship from NSD. She visited Japan in 2003 as part of the international delegate of theatre directors to study Japanese Performing Arts. She also went to South Korea to study advance technology in theatre designing in 2007. She actively conducts production-oriented theatre workshops in Manipur. Her plays have participated in various national theatre festivals, and six times in the Bharat Rang Mahotsav. Thaninleima is a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar in 2010, and Hawaibam Nillamani Memorial Award in 2019 for Direction. As a writer she has received the Best playwright of Manipur award from the Sahitya Parishad Manipur in 2014, and Best playwright of Manipur for the year 2015 awarded by Sahitya Premi Samiti Manipur.
Director’s Note
The play Leimarembi Ahilyabai presents the remarkable life of Ahilyabai Holkar, remembered as one of the benevolent and visionary rulers of the Malwa Kingdom in central India. It depicts her journey from personal tragedy to sovereign responsibility, portraying the strength of a woman who transformed grief into an enduring commitment to her people. Created with the aesthetics of Manipuri culture, the play focuses on depicting the inner strength of Ahilyabai visually and emotionally. The play entwines the grandeur of her political and cultural achievement with the poignancy of her personal suffering. It portrays Ahilyabai a woman whose legacy continues to inspire devotion, reverence and admiration in history and literature. The play tries to present the concept of ideal administration, humanity, and spirituality to the contemporary audience.
Group
Khenjonglang is a centre for theatre research, training, production, and community welfare where artists from diverse communities collaborate, share emotions, and explore theatre as a way of life. Founded in 1989 by young theatre enthusiasts, the group took a major leap forward when Dr. Sanabam Thaninleima, after completing her postgraduate studies in Design and Direction at the National School of Drama in 2001, began leading the organisation. A Theatre-in-Education unit for children was launched in 2009, and today 27 artists work collectively and facilitate administrative and management divisions also. Khenjonglang has organised numerous NSD extension workshops across many years, including landmark playwriting programmes in 2006 and 2014 supported by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The group had created productions in native languages with Tangkhul communities in 2009 and Maring communities in 2010. Khenjonglang has participated in Bharat Rang Mahotsav several times, the Octave Festival, and many other national and international festivals across India. In 2019 it organised the North-East Nupi Drama Festival and National Seminar, and focuses on children’s theatre workshops to support the mental health of internally displaced children in relief camps.