No James Bond but shaken & stirred in 10 minutes

CHENNAI: For all practical purposes, Tamil Nadu considers itself a progressive state. However, our recent history is rife with incidents and subjects that we’d rather forget and not really commit to the collective consciousness of the mainstream in letter and spirit.

But, a providential attendance at a theatre festival in the city reinforced faith in the vox populi, especially when it comes to those working in the creative and imaginative spaces of this metro. This festival featured an eclectic collection of 10-minute plays that attempted to convey the trials and tribulations of the human condition.

Occasionally, a troupe or two dared to trespass into regions that one would approach with trepidation and pull off a social commentary to make us reassess our perspectives on fellow humans. One such play depicted the aftermath of the Thoothukudi custodial deaths, when a father-son duo paid with their lives during the lockdown just for having kept their shops open beyond deadline.

Of course, as art imitates life, we also saw a play that spoke about the cost of indifference, as we turned a blind eye to the plight of a woman undergoing domestic abuse, just like her neighbour, who drowned out the screams with her own apathy. Another story dealt with the inner turmoil of a naval officer who is struggling with his sexual identity, that of a Tirunangai.

These might not be stories we’d like to talk about on a breezy weekend, but they happened here, and needed to be told. Amidst the feel-good entertainers, they are our anchors to the gritty realism of our existence.