CHANDRAHARI – THE HYPOCRITES: A Multilingual Theatrical Adaptation

CHANDRAHARI – THE HYPOCRITES

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 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 devised theatre processes, the production transforms a classical character study into a reflection of current socio-political dynamics using ensemble-driven physical theatre methods.

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 introduced realism, social satire, and literary refinement to Tamil drama.

Director

Ramassamy S. is a theatre maker, founder of the Velippadai Theatre Movement based in Kuruvinatham, Puducherry, and holds a Master’s degree in Theatre and Drama from Pondicherry University alongside a Professional Diploma in Intercultural Theatre Acting from the Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore. His notable works include Iranyan Allathu Inaiyatra Veeran, Nadai Paavadai, and Nallathangaal.

Director’s Note

Director Ramassamy S. envisioned reimagining Pammal Sambandham’s 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 utilized devised theatre practices to examine how duplicity becomes normalized and how authenticity is performed in modern systems.

Group

Chennai Theatre Academy was founded by experienced theatre practitioners trained at renowned universities and acting institutions. The Academy is led by professionally trained faculty who are alumni of institutions such as the National School of Drama, Koothu-p-pattarai (Chennai), the Performing Arts Department of Pondicherry Central University, and the Intercultural Theatre Institute, Singapore.