The production is a thematic adaptation of Chandrahari, a seminal Tamil play by renowned playwright Pammal Sambandham, originally staged by Sugunavilasa Sabha in the 1940s. Reimagined as a multilingual work, the production examines the idea of duplicity within present-day social and political realities. While the original play positioned Chandrahari as the moral opposite of the truth-bound Harichandra from Puranic tradition, this adaptation expands the inversion to interrogate institutional, social, and personal hypocrisy in modern life. Developed through rigorous devised theatre processes—such as life studies, critical dialogue, and engagement with contemporary contexts—the production transforms a classical character study into a reflection of current socio-political dynamics. Ensemble-driven physical theatre methods enable performers to inhabit multiple roles through precise bodily transformations, creating a fluid theatrical language of movement and action.
Writer
Pammal Sambandham was a renowned Tamil playwright, actor, and theatre reformer who played a pivotal role in shaping modern Tamil theatre in the early twentieth century. A founding figure of the Sugunavilasa Sabha, he was instrumental in introducing realism, social satire, and literary refinement to Tamil drama. His works moved beyond mythological narratives to address contemporary social issues, moral contradictions, and human behaviour with wit and critical insight.
Director
Ramassamy S. is a theatre maker and the founder of the Velippadai Theatre Movement, based in Kuruvinatham, Puducherry. He has a Master’s degree in Theatre and Drama from Pondicherry University and a Professional Diploma in Intercultural Theatre Acting from the Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore. Ramassamy has directed and performed in critically acclaimed productions across India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Australia. His notable works include Iranyan Allathu Inaiyatra Veeran, Nadai Paavadai, and Nallathangaal – A Tamil adaptation of Mahasweta Devi’s Rudali. His theatre methodology is research-driven and grounded in his research paper ‘Designing Acting Training Methods Through Living Circumstances’ which was presented in Sri Lanka. As an educator, he regularly conducts workshops across India, nurturing emerging artists and sustaining theatre practice for future generations.
Director’s Note
As the director of this contemporary adaptation of Chandrahari, my vision was to reimagine Pammal Sambandham’s seminal Tamil satire as a multilingual and socially resonant theatrical experience. Through intensive life studies and research into present-day political and social realities, the ensemble expanded the original inversion of Harichandra’s truth-bound ideal into a wider critique of institutional and personal hypocrisy. Using devised theatre practices—critical dialogue, physical theatre, and collaborative creation—we examined how duplicity becomes normalized and how authenticity is performed in modern systems. Breaking conventional boundaries of spectatorship, the production invites audiences to reflect on the fragile space between truth and pretence.
Group
Chennai Theatre Academy was founded by theatre practitioners with extensive experience in acting and performance, professionally trained at renowned universities and premier national and international acting institutions. By encouraging deep insight into diverse acting styles and fostering meaningful discussions, the Academy promotes holistic learning and is led by professionally trained faculty who are alumni of prestigious institutions such as the National School of Drama, Koothu-p-pattarai (Chennai), the Performing Arts Department of Pondicherry Central University, the Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore and other leading institutions, bringing profound expertise and experience in acting techniques.