Chawngmawii leh Hrangchhuana: A Tragic Folktale Play

Chawngmawii leh Hrangchhuana

Chawngmawii and Hrangchhuana is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of two rival villages locked in bitter conflict. Chawngmawii, a young woman of grace and courage, secretly falls in love with Hrangchhuana, a brave young man from the enemy village. Bound by love yet divided by war, they meet under the cover of night, knowing that each meeting risks Hrangchhuana’s life.

As suspicion grows, the villagers set a trap to capture the unknown intruder. After many narrow escapes, Hrangchhuana is finally caught. To expose the traitor among them, the village chief orders him to be tied on the village path, forcing all the women to walk over him. When Chawngmawii’s turn comes, she breaks down, covering his face with her shawl and revealing their forbidden love.

Enraged by betrayal, the villagers brutally torture and behead Hrangchhuana, displaying his head as a warning. Defying fear and death, Chawngmawii carries his head to his parents, honouring his final wish. Though his parents bless her courage, Chawngmawii is killed by her own people. Legend says their spirits rise into the sky as Venus and Jupiter—forever united as symbols of love that transcends hatred, war, and death.

Director

The play is directed by Mr. MS Ralte, an Instructor of Drama in the Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA), Directorate of Art & Culture Department, Govt. of Mizoram since February 2014. He has participated in many theatre workshops under the National School of Drama, New Delhi, Sangeet Natak Akademi, North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur, and other private institutions across India. He has acted and played in NSD Faculty play productions.

Mr. MS Ralte is a renowned play director and judge in the theatrical field, having directed many Mizo folktale dramas in the Mizo language, such as Liandovate Unau, Kawrdumbela, and Tualvungi Leh Zawlpala. He has also produced many street plays for awareness campaigns regarding Swachh Bharat, Anti-Malaria, and AIDS. He won the State-level Anti-AIDS Awareness Campaign Drama Competition in 2010 and 2011, and also won Best Director in a State Level Drama Competition.

Group

The group for the play Chawngmawii leh Hrangchhuana consists of 30 members, including onstage and offstage participants. All members are students from the Three Months Certificate Course of the 2025 Batch, consisting of young Mizo boys and girls who are amateurs in theatre and beginners in drama acting.