Niyamavarthanam raises uncomfortable questions about religious dogmatism and a woman’s autonomy over her own body

Members of Rasa Theatre Collective.

Rasa Theatre Collective’s original production Niyamavarthanam will premiere in their studio at One Little Earth, Thripunithura, this weekend.

Niyamavarthanam, written and directed by theatre maker and practitioner Rahul Thomas, is a family drama set in a Kerala Christian household in today’s times. The narrative pivots around Appachan, a quintessential patriarch, and his two daughters – Lissy and Nancy.  

Lissy is married to Antony, and they have a 14-year-old daughter Angel. Things go awry when Lissy realises she is pregnant and does not want to go ahead with it. Appachan is suitably upset as he had raised his family to be “God-fearing and rule-abiding”. 

What ensues is a conflict between belief and pragmatism, individual and establishment, feminism and patriarchy. The play raises uncomfortable questions about religious dogmatism and a woman’s autonomy over her own body. “Coming from a Christian household, I felt I could speak with a certain degree of authority,” says Rahul. “We wanted to tell a story that is relevant to the times. This play is not about shunning religion, but an exploration of how one can function as a progressive individual within the framework of religion,” he adds. 

The title of the Malayalam play, Niyamavarthanam, is borrowed from a book from the Old Testament and “it means a list of rules that God has given for people to live by,” says Rahul. While Rahul plays Appachan, Sharanya R. plays Lissy. Sidharth Varma portays Antony, and Pooja Pankaj is Nancy. Anjali Sunilkumar and Ramesh Warrier comprise the rest of the cast. Anagha Unni is the creative collaborator. Charles Joseph and Nirupama Thomas are on production support and set design.

Rahul, along with Sidharth Varma, formed Rasa Theatre Collective with an aim to create contemporary theatre performances that reflect the Indian social-cultural and political milieu. Their first play, Gajam, produced in 2021, was based on human-animal conflict. 

Niyamavarthanam, a 75-minute play, will be staged on April 22 and 23, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at One Little Earth in Thripunithura. For tickets, reach out to 90723-27121.