A snapshot from the rehearsals
| Photo Credit: Amalanath Benedict
“Theatre is not a privilege of a certain class,” says Sujatha Balakrishnan, founder, Theatre for Change, a not-for-profit theatre collective that she founded in 2015. To commemorate the collective completing a decade, the team is staging a play Kaapis, Kryptos and Chaos later this month that looks at the chaos of relationships in the digital age.
Set in a senior assisted living facility, the play written and directed by Shilpa Bansal showcases “an entertaining, engaging and enriching conversation between grandparents and their visiting grandchildren”, says Sujatha.
This relationship, says the 68-year-old, is on the verge of collapsing due to cultural shifts and technological advancement. “As a psychologist, I feel as a society, we need to be more sensitive to the emotional needs of the seniors. A strong social and built environment is crucial for the seniors living alone, and this calls for an urgent need to design multigenerational spaces that will provide the platform for shared activities that fosters empathy and mutual respect. Of course, this can be achieved only through a systemic institutional change.”
A snapshot from the rehearsals
| Photo Credit:
Amalanath Benedict
She believes this light-hearted intergenerational play will reiterate the value of a very special relationship. “Nobody wants a rant or a judgemental take on issues. The play is open-ended and aimed at sparking a conversation on the larger issue. We are just placing facts on the table, so audiences must come with an open mind. We hope to engage the audience to turn into agents of change,” explains Sujatha, who has been staging plays on culturally stigmatised topics for several years.
“Through our journey, we’ve been fortunate to have been joined by transgender activists, the working class, and other subaltern groups who have lent their voice and support to our collective,” she says, adding that all sale proceeds go to the NGO Diya Ghar.
On November 29, 6.30 pm at The Bangalore Room, Indiranagar. For tickets, call 9845370431
Published – November 24, 2025 06:05 pm IST
