Raja Ki Rasoi: A Satirical Theatre Production Exploring Power and Governance

About Raja Ki Rasoi

Raja ki Rasoi is a thought-provoking production written by the late Dr. Mohan Maharishi, based on a fictional legend. The play exhibits the royal coronation ceremony of a ‘Yuvraj’ and debates several contemporary issues through various situations. It focuses on the dilemma of a royal cook, Pakanak, highlighting decaying moral ethics in governance when upholders of the law become tormentors of submissive people. Driven by the fear of execution while trying to serve fresh meat during festivities, the cook murders an innocent brahmin and cooks his meat for the new king, leading to compounding problems when the king demands the same dish daily.

Writer and Director

Writer: Mohan Maharishi was a prominent figure in Indian theatre known for his work as a director, playwright, and academic, exploring socially relevant themes and human psychology.

Director: Neeraj Singh Rawat has received a national scholarship for theatre from the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, and has worked as a summer workshop director for Sahitya Kala Parishad, Govt. of Delhi. His other directorial credits include Til ka Taad, Look Back in Anger, Ande ke Chilke, and Hawalaat.

Director’s Note

The production treats the royal kitchen as a metaphor for the state. Utilizing satire, choreographed movement, and sharp vocal patterns, the staging avoids realism and glorification to expose the hypocrisy beneath authority. Symbolic props such as empty utensils and oversized ladles are used on a mostly bare stage.

About the Group

Performers Journey Studio, started in 2017, serves as a collaborative space for trained theatre professionals including actors, directors, designers, and teachers who produce devised theatre, classical plays, and contemporary stories.